WATCHING THE WORLD GPEENPEACE TASK FORCE TAKES BRENT SPAR

With David Knott from London Whether or not you agree with the opinions of environmental campaign group Greenpeace, you have to give it credit for boldness and commitment. Both qualities were in evidence Apr. 30 when a dozen Greenpeace activists seized control of an offshore installation viewed as a test case for U.K. platform abandonment methods. Around lunchtime, Greenpeace ship Moby Dick and an escort of inflatable crafts sped out to the disused Brent field spar loading buoy in North Sea

May 8, 1995

3 min read

Whether or not you agree with the opinions of environmental campaign group Greenpeace, you have to give it credit for boldness and commitment.

Both qualities were in evidence Apr. 30 when a dozen Greenpeace activists seized control of an offshore installation viewed as a test case for U.K. platform abandonment methods.

Around lunchtime, Greenpeace ship Moby Dick and an escort of inflatable crafts sped out to the disused Brent field spar loading buoy in North Sea Block 211/29. Brent field operator is Shell U.K. Exploration & Production.

Four protesters climbed from their boat onto a steel ladder on the side of the buoy They climbed part of the way to the top of the buoy on the ladder and the rest of the way using ropes and wenches.

Five standby vessels were in Brent field at the time but could do little about the invasion. "One standby vessel came close to the Greenpeace boats during our approach," said a Greenpeace official, "and a helicopter flew over."

POISONS WORRY

Greenpeace is concerned about toxic and radioactive waste being left on the spar when it is dumped. The U.K. Department of Trade & Industry last March approved Shell's plan to dump the buoy in deep water off Northwest Britain this summer (OGJ, Mar. 20, p. 32).

"Brent spar, weighing 14-W metric tons, is laden with substances dangerous to the marine environment," Greenpeace said. "The aging oil installation contains over 100 metric tons of hazardous materials, including PCBs, waste oil, and heavy metals such as cadmium and arsenic, together with over 30 metric tons of radioactive scale."

The checklist of hazardous chemicals comes from a report by London's Rudall Blanchard & Associates Ltd., on which Shell's case for dumping the spar was based.

Blanchard said the worst case scenario for dumping the buoy would be rupturing of its storage tanks as it hit the seabed, with release of contaminated water and sludge from the wreckage during 24 hr.

Even in this worst case, release of hydrocarbons and heavy metals is expected to be in an area with little marine life and of such short duration the chemicals would not harm the food chain.

As for release of radioactive chemicals, the consultant's report said, "It is dear that any doses arising from ocean disposal of the Brent spar would not remotely approach the limits of tolerability recommended by the International Commission m Radiological protection."

SIEGE WARNING

But Greenpeace maintains the toxic inventory is not accurately known and is likely to be a gross underestimate. It said, "If the Brent spar is dumped it will set an alarming precedent which threatens potentially huge additional toxic pollution of our seas."

Greenpeace demands that the U.K. government and Shell reverse their decision to dump the buoy and opt for complete removal with scrapping and disposal of wastes on land.

A Shell spokesman said his company has been in contact with Grampian police in Aberdeen. A Grampian police official said a team of officers flew out to the Brent A platform, about 3 km from the buoy, May 1 to begin inquiries.

Meanwhile, the Greenpeace team has food and other supplies on the buoy and is preparing to sit it out.

"We're not moving until we are assured by Shell or government that Brent spar is not going to be dumped," said the Greenpeace official. "We may have to wait until autumn and the end of the weather window. We are prepared for a long occupation."