Cairn Energy

Video: Esperanza to climb team, over

Posted by jamie — 2 September 2010 at 3:46pm - Comments

This was the scene on the Esperanza's bridge as Luke called through to Sim on the Stena Don for the last time, as the climbers prepared to leave the oil rig. Apologies for the audio which is a bit fuzzy, but here's a transcript:

"Well, that was dramatic" - watching our activists from the ship

Posted by jamess — 2 September 2010 at 11:10am - Comments

Ben writes about this morning's events from the Esperanza...

Well, that was dramatic. Yesterday afternoon, the seas started churning and our huge banner on the oil rig was twisting and flapping as a gale blew up. I spoke to the four activists under rig and they assured me they were fine. They had self-heating meals and water and were still doing interviews, telling the world about Cairn Energy’s plans to spark an Arctic oil rush.

I kept eyeing the scene through the porthole in my cabin with concern. The swell was heaving and the lips of the waves were breaking white across the stretch of sea separating the Esperanza from the rig. The weather forecast on the screen on the bridge looked ominous – lots of grim symbols over the coast west of Greenland – while a quick duck outside had my eyes watering with the cold.

Video: evading navy boats and climbing up oil rigs

Posted by jamie — 31 August 2010 at 1:49pm - Comments

In the last couple of hours, we've received this footage from the Esperanza from this morning's daring occupation of the Stena Don, the oil rig operated by Cairn Energy. It shows just what an amazing feat the guys and gals there have pulled off, not least evading the Danish navy and scaling the oil rig legs.

How we slipped past Danish commandos

Posted by jamess — 31 August 2010 at 12:29pm - Comments

Picture of Sim from the US, setting up an occupation platform. Leila, on board the Esperanza, writes:

Blimey, this is exciting! Up at 4am, the crew scuttling around the Espy, all the portholes shut tight so that the Navy had no idea we were even awake. Nine brave activists eased into their dry suits and safety gear in the Lounge, a place usually reserved for chillaxing.

Drilling for oil and hosing down icebergs

Posted by jamie — 26 August 2010 at 4:41pm - Comments

As images and video come in to the office from the Esperanza, the one thing that has amazed everyone is the lengths to which Cairn Energy will go (indeed, must go) to prevent icebergs colliding with its drilling operations. Iceberg Alley is so named for a reason, and there's some footage here of one method for dealing with them: hosing them away.

There's also a chance to see the Stena Don rig close up as well as the Stena Forth drilling ship, and get a sense of what it's like to be out in the Arctic seas near Greenland.

A video of life on the Esperanza

Posted by lisavickers — 26 August 2010 at 9:25am - Comments

We finally managed to upload the video of the crew that our videographer Stephen Nugent made. The internet connection via satellite is pretty terrible up here as we are right on the edge of the northern range for the satellite that normally gives us internet 24/7. I'm so glad you are now able to see it. The video itself took about four days to make, several bars of chocolate in bribes to get people talking, Stephen on camera and me on sound - fumbling around all over the ship - getting in everyone's way and struggling with the pitching and rolling at sea.

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