Arctic-drilling protesters from Greenpeace climbed aboard a Royal Dutch Shell Plc oil rig Monday as it was transported across the Pacific Ocean northwest of Hawaii.
Six Greenpeace members approached the rig, the Polar Pioneer, in inflatable boats and scaled the platform, according to a statement from the group.
The Transocean Ltd.-owned rig is being sent on a vessel called the Blue Marlin to Seattle before heading to the Arctic, according to Greenpeace.
Shell, Europe’s largest oil company, said the protesters illegally boarded the drilling rig, jeopardizing their safety as well as the crew’s.
The company said it has met with critics of oil exploration off the coast of Alaska.
“We respect their views and value the dialogue,” Shell wrote in an e-mailed statement. “We will not, however, condone the illegal tactics employed by Greenpeace. Nor will we allow these stunts to distract from preparations underway to execute a safe and responsible exploration program.”
Shell faces opposition from environmental groups concerned that harsh conditions off Alaska make drilling unsafe.
Shell has said it wants to resume exploration when the weather gets warmer this year after halting operations in 2012 when a drilling rig ran aground and it was fined for air pollution.
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