Above Photo: The Skandi Atlantic. Photo credit: Supplied
Extinction Rebellion protesters have tied themselves to a huge oil rig in the Marlborough Sounds to protest deep-sea oil drilling.
Two members of the climate activism group boarded the 100-metre high OMV rig at 10:30am on Tuesday and fastened themselves to the side of the vessel.
The rig was travelling through the Marlborough Sounds on its way to Taranaki when the protesters commandeered it and clambered on board.
The group is furious that OMV is being allowed to drill new wells off the Taranaki coast despite the Government ending future permits for offshore oil and gas exploration.
This is because the ban did not cover previous exploration permits.
OMV is on the list of 100 companies which have caused more than 70 percent of the world’s climate emissions. It is currently drilling for oil in the Arctic.
Extinction Rebellion expects the vessel will continue its journey despite the boarding, but doubts the rig will commence drilling until they are removed.
“If OMV wants to knowingly disrupt the Earth’s climate with oil and gas drilling, then getting on their rig to disrupt them is necessary,” said one of the climbers, Nick Hanafin.
Extinction Rebellion has previously targeted OMV. In July 2019 Hanafin and another climber, Abigail Smith, scaled the OMV office in the Wellington CBD.