Oil exploration protest heralded a success by rig climbers despite being cut short

Thursday, 5 March 2020

Two members of Extinction Rebellion Ōtautahi have boarded an oil rig off the coast of the South Island to protest against fossil fuel extraction.

Two environmental activists whose risked their life climbing onto an oil rig in the Cook Strait to oppose fossil fuel extraction have called their action a success and would not hesitate to do it again.

The pair, Nick Hanafin and Siana Fitzjohn of Christchurch, were dubbed 'eco-evangelists' by regional economic development minister Shane Jones, and widely criticised by oil and gas industry representatives, who labelled the actions 'dangerous' and 'stupid.'

Siana Fitzjohn and Nick Hanafin of Extinction Rebellion, talk about climbing onto the oil drilling rig COSL Prospector to protest oil and gas exploration.

The protest on the outside of the rig was supposed to last as long as 14 days, but ended just 14 hours after it began - near the Marlborough Sounds - when Hanafin and Fitzjohn requested to come on deck.

The pair claimed members of the rig crew 'stole' vital equipment, which prevented them from staying outside safely and so they were forced to abandon the protest.

* Christchurch climate campaigners scale 100m oil rig off NZ coast

* OMV Maui redevelopment to extend gas field's life**

They also refuted earlier claims Fitzjohn had to be treated for hypothermia, claiming it was 'cheeky' that OMV had tried to make them look unprepared.

The protesters were flown back to New Plymouth Airport on Wednesday afternoon.

While their actions may not have stopped the rig reaching Taranaki, where it is due to start a drilling programme, Hanafin believed the protest worked.

The protesters were prepared to spend up to 14 days on the rig.

'We highlighted exploration off the Taranaki coast which is not consistent with environmental policies,' Hanafin said. 'It hasn't put us off doing it again.'

The pair were issued trespass notices by OMV on board the rig but on Thursday they had still to be charged.

Hanafin said they were prepared to face the legal consequences of their actions.

'These consequences pale in significance to the future of the planet if the world continues to drill for oil and gas,' he said.

Oil and gas industry lobby group Petroleum Exploration and Producers Association of New Zealand (PEPANZ) did not see any positive result from the protest.

'I can't see how it achieved anything other than putting themselves and the OMV staff at risk,' its chief executive John Carnegie said.

'It certainly hasn't delayed any of OMV's work programme.'

Extinction Rebellion protesters Nick Hanafin, 40, boarded the OMV drilling rig COSL Prospector as it neared Marlborough Sounds.

Carnegie said extremist action such as illegally boarding oil rigs put people off.

'It was incredibly reckless and dangerous and could have ended in tragedy,' he said.

Carnegie said a recent PEPANZ survey showed only 20 per cent of people had an unfavourable view of the oil and gas industry.

'We actually agree with the transition to lower emissions, as do most people,' he said.

'We should be able to have a proper conversation about this without climbing oil rigs and endangering people.

Greenpeace spokeswoman Amanda Larsson said historically peaceful protests had changed people's attitudes.

'We have seen throughout history peaceful protests have achieved wins for social justice,' she said.

Greenpeace have been at the frontline of many protests against the oil industry in New Zealand but were not involved in the Extinction Rebellion actions in Taranaki, she said.

'What is important is the way society judges the protests at the time and how people react differently to them in hindsight many years later,' she said.

Massey University senior lecturer in sociology Dr Warwick Tie said it was difficult to gauge how successful the protest was on the strength of one incident.

A better measure was the experience of the protest movement over a period of time, such as the anti-Springbok tour protests in New Zealand in 1981, he said.

'The success of the protests came about on how the movement was able to alter the terms of public understanding,' he said.

OMV said it was working with Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, and Maritime NZ on whether charges would be laid.

'Our primary concern is the reckless approach taken by the protesters, that exposed both them and rig staff to unnecessary risk,' a spokesman said.

The company had a firm commitment to NZ to continue with the exploration programme, he said.