The Norwegian authorities have rejected Greenpeace’s appeal to stop Statoil from drilling the country’s northernmost exploration well.
The activists argued Statoil’s plans to drill its Apollo well, in the Barents Sea, violated a law banning drilling in ice near an ice boundary.
However, the authorities today sided with the exploration firm. The country’s Ministry of Climate and Environment said the planned drilling did not violate the general guidelines for petroleum activities in the Barents Sea.
The decision brings an end to the week-long drama. A group of activists boarded the Spitsbergen rig as it was en-route to the Hoop area of the exploration zone before they were handed over to police.
Several activists refused to leave the rig before they were forcibly removed by authorities with the assistance of an emergency response unit. Greenpeace later placed one of its boats at the drilling location despite being told to cease all activity.
Irene Rummelhoff, senior vice president for exploration on the Norwegian continental shelf, said: “Greenpeace has once again performed an illegal action.
“Statoil respects people’s right to make a legal protest, and we feel it is important to have a democratic debate around the oil industry. Our exploration drilling on Apollo is taking place in an area which has been impact assessed, opened up and awarded by Norwegian authorities.
“We have established robust plans for the operation, and feel confident they can be carried out safely and without accidents.”
The project delays have cost Statoil nearly £800,000 per day.
Irene added: “Our top priority is to have safe operations without any harm to people or the environment. Delayed exploration activities come at a cost, however, which we estimate to be at a level of NOK 7.5 million per day (£748,000).
“In addition there are the costs to society.”
The exploration well will be drilled about 300 km from the mainland and 170 km from the island of Bjørnøya.
More than 100 exploration wells have been drilled in the Barents Sea over the last 34 years.
Norway sees the Barents Sea as a critical solution to its declining production returns. The area holds more than 40% of the country’s undiscovered resources, according to the data gathered by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate.
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