Two Greenpeace activists taken into custody after occupying Woodside's Scarborough gas platform

Two Greenpeace activists were taken into police custody on Sunday after occupying a Woodside Energy gas platform about 200 kilometres off the coast of Western Australia, the ABC reported.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific said four protesters travelled to the platform early on Saturday morning and two of them set up “temporary hanging tents” to stay there for “as long as possible”. The group said it was protesting against Woodside’s planned Browse gas project near Scott Reef.

“Special police forces landed a helicopter on the [platform] at around 11:30am AWST,” Greenpeace said on Sunday. “The activists safely removed themselves from their equipment before being taken into police custody around 1pm.”

An Australian Border Force spokesperson said it was working with federal and state agencies to respond, according to the ABC.

Woodside confirmed the protest had disrupted operations at the facility, which is part of its $12.5 billion Scarborough gas project. “Pre-commissioning activities at Scarborough have been paused as part of routine procedures following the unauthorised access,” a Woodside spokesperson said.

Woodside said the activists had “deliberately and unlawfully” accessed the floating production unit and had “not only endangered their own safety, but that of Woodside staff”. The company said the protest had “triggered a significant, potentially costly and entirely avoidable response”.

Greenpeace said the activists involved were “highly trained and experienced” and that care was “always taken in the health, safety and welfare of all involved”, the ABC reported.