FROM: GREENPEACE CREW ABOARD M.V. ALTAIR DATE:10th June,1995.

GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS BATTLE TO PREVENT BRENT SPAR TOW

P> SHELL VESSEL RAMS GREENPEACE BOAT AS BRENT SPAR DUMP BEGINS

BRENT OIL FIELD, SATURDAY, 10 June, 1995--The ink on the North Sea Conference declaration condemning the dumping of the toxic laden Brent Spar was barely dry as Shell UK moved in to dump the oil platform today.

79KB GIF or 27KB JPG.Greenpeace and Shell activity around the Brent Spar. ©Greenpeace/Steve Cox.

This morning, a Shell rigid-hulled speed boat rammed and drove over a Greenpeace life raft attached to one of the Brent Spar's six massive anchor chains, upending it and throwing three activists overboard into the sea. Shell standby vessel, Rembas continued blasting the activists with high pressure water hoses in a dangerous attempt to remove them.

72KB GIF or 26KB JPG.Greenpeace liferaft crushed by Shell safety boat. ©Greenpeace/Steve Cox.

Shell's Brenda Viking supply vessel attached a wire to one of the anchor chains, lifting the chain's slack onto its deck. Another Shell vessel, the Smit Singapore, backed up to the Brenda Viking, with a Greenpeace inflatable between them.

63KB GIF or 29KB JPG. Greenpeace activists tie their craft to hauling line. ©Greenpeace/Steve Cox.

The Greenpeace activists cut a heaving line as the Smit Singapore towing vessel tried to pull a wire from the Brenda Viking. The activists then pulled in the cable and tied it to their inflatable. As the two Shell vessels began to winch themselves together the Smit Singapore let the cable go and the Brenda Viking began winching the Greenpeace boat aboard under its stern. The Greenpeace boat was flipped over and one activist was thrown out. At about 2.30pm, two activists jumped into the water in front of the Smit Singapore as it attempted to approach the Brent Spar again. Shell has been able to cut only one of the anchor chains so far and have not managed to connect a tug.

45KB GIF or 19KB JPG. Greenpeace inflatable rescues activists from crushed liferaft. ©Greenpeace/SteveCox

"Shell is showing contempt for most of the countries bordering the North Sea and is acting aggressively towards Greenpeace's protest of their outrageous dumping plans," said Chris Rose of Greenpeace.

"This is an environmental obscenity. Shell thinks the sea is its litter bin and the UK Government is allowing the multinational oil company to call the shots," said Rose.

Most North Sea countries agreed at the North Sea Conference -- which ended yesterday - - that dumping offshore installations at sea was totally unacceptable and recommended decommissioning of rigs on land. Only the UK, Norway and France objected to the recommendation.

Yesterday, Greenpeace leaked a 1992 Smit Engineering report which shows that, contrary to previous Shell assertions the Brent Spar could feasibly be towed back to land and decommissioned for less than a quarter of the cost quoted in Shell's original estimate.

"It appears that Shell kept this information from the UK Government to ensure the disastrous decision to allow the oil giant to dump the Brent Spar," said Rose. "There is no good reason to dump the Brent Spar and every good reason not to."

For more information, please contact: Chris Rose 0374 931 234, or Desley Mather 0385 258 446

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