Greenpeace activists said they climbed OAO Gazprom’s Prirazlomnaya platform in the Arctic to protest drilling plans on Russia’s first major oil project in the ocean. Six ecologists, including the environmental organization’s executive director Kumi Naidoo, occupied the rig and interrupted its operation around 4 a.m. local time, Greenpeace said today in an e-mailed statement. “The activists are out of reach and have enough supplies to last them for several days,� the group said. Gazprom, Russia’s biggest company by market value, in May forecast it would start production at the Prirazlomnoye field in the fourth quarter. The $7 billion project in the Barents Sea has been delayed by about five years because of technical issues and underfunding. Gazprom Neft Shelf, Gazprom’s subsidiary that holds the license for the field, declined to comment immediately. Greenpeace, along with other environmental organizations, has opposed drilling plans in the Arctic. The ecologists have invaded vessels operated by Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Cairn Energy Plc, which explore for oil and gas in the polar ocean that’s partly covered by sea ice. To contact the reporter on this story: Eduard Gismatullin and Anna Shiryaevskaya in London at egismatullin@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Will Kennedy at wkennedy3@bloomberg.net

Source