Woodside pauses Scarborough work after protest

Woodside Energy Group Ltd. paused pre-commissioning work at its Scarborough gas project off the coast of Western Australia after Greenpeace protesters climbed aboard the offshore platform. The company characterized the incident as a significant and potentially costly disruption to operations and said the response would have been entirely avoidable without the unauthorized access.

Pre-commissioning activities remained paused as Woodside and authorities addressed the security and safety implications of the boarding. The suspension comes late in the development phase, as Scarborough is in the final stages before starting liquefied natural gas production.

Greenpeace stated that demonstrators reached the Scarborough platform early over the weekend, with four activists involved in the action. Two protesters set up temporary hanging tents on the structure and spent the night there, while the other two returned to the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior.

The two activists who remained on the platform were taken into police custody later on Sunday afternoon. Greenpeace has criticized the Scarborough project, claiming it poses risks to marine ecosystems and will contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

Woodside said Greenpeace’s actions triggered a significant response to ensure the safety and security of personnel and the facility. The company described the boarding as dangerous and emphasized that it supports a strong response by the relevant authorities to enforce the law to the fullest extent.

The call for robust law enforcement underlines the company’s concern about unauthorized access to critical energy infrastructure. However, no detailed assessment of financial impact or length of the pause has been disclosed in the available statements.

Despite the interruption to pre-commissioning work, Scarborough remains close to completion. Woodside states on its website that the project is 98% complete, indicating construction and installation are largely finished.

The development continues to target its first liquefied natural gas cargo in the fourth quarter. No revised timeline has been announced in connection with the protest-related pause, and the company has not indicated any change to its stated schedule in public materials referenced so far.