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Shell’s vessel on the move, activists still dangling

July 30, 2015

Offshore Energy Today reported Wednesday that Greenpeace activists had suspended themselves from St. Johns Bridge in Portland, Oregon to block Shell’s vessel M/V Fennica from leaving the port for Alaskan waters.

According to a live stream by one of the activists, the vessel is now on the move through the Willamette River and towards the St. Johns Bridge. It is being escorted by the US Coast Guard.

To remind, the Fennica is an icebreaker that will support Shell’s drilling operations in the Chukchi Sea. The vessel was in Oregon for repairs after suffering a damage to the hull while navigating through the Unalaska Bay.

The vessel carries a crucial piece of emergency response equipment, designed to shut in a well in the event of a loss of well control, without which Shell is not permitted to drill into oil-bearing zones. According to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), the vessel and its equipment must be at the drill site in order for Shell to reapply and request to have the restriction reconsidered.

Update:

According to a live news stream by Portland-based television station KATU, the Fennica has turned around and stopped.

Update 2: July 30, 2015; 17:00 CET

The Fennica is heading back upstream to the port.

Offshore Energy Today Staff