Greenpeace Activists Face 10-Year Jail Term After Boarding Gas Platform
Two activists arrested after occupying Scarborough FPU 125 nautical miles off Western Australia for 36 hours.
Two Greenpeace activists were arrested this week after boarding an offshore gas platform in Western Australia, disrupting operations and drawing attention to environmental concerns surrounding the project.
The protest began early Saturday when a group of activists sailed 125 nautical miles from Exmouth to reach the Scarborough gas floating production unit (FPU). Without authorization, they climbed aboard the platform and hung banners from its hull, forcing operator Woodside to temporarily halt pre-commissioning work. While most of the group left shortly after, two men remained on the platform overnight.
Activists removed after 36-hour occupation
A multi-agency operation involving the Australian Border Force (ABF), Western Australia Police, and the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority concluded Monday with the “safe removal” of the two remaining activists. The men, aged 48 and 52, were taken into custody without injury and transported to Western Australia for detention.
Natural Gas
Both now face charges of “interfering with offshore petroleum installations or operations,” which carries a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years. In a statement, the ABF stressed the dangers of unauthorized access to offshore facilities, noting that such environments are “inherently complex and potentially hazardous” and that trespassing puts both activists and workers at risk.
Environmental concerns fuel protest
The Scarborough FPU, constructed by McDermott and CSSC, is central to Woodside’s plans to tap into the Browse formation, the largest remaining untapped gas resource in Australia. Once processed, the gas will be piped to the Pluto LNG facility in the Pilbara region, where Woodside is expanding capacity to approximately 8 million tonnes per annum.
Greenpeace has long opposed the project, arguing that Woodside’s plan to drill up to 57 wells, many near Scott Reef, poses a threat to marine life, including pygmy blue whales and sea turtles. The group warns that seismic surveys, increased vessel traffic, and light pollution could disrupt the delicate ecosystem.
Woodside, however, maintains that the Scarborough project will produce some of the lowest-carbon liquefied natural gas (LNG) available for the Asian market. The company highlights the gas’s low reservoir CO₂ content and energy-efficient processing facilities. It also asserts that project activities will not affect Scott Reef above the 75-meter contour line.
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