Statoil: Last Greenpeace activists in custody

STAVANGER, Norway, May 29 (UPI) -- Norwegian energy company Statoil said Thursday the Greenpeace activists who boarded a drill ship headed for arctic waters are in custody.

More than a dozen demonstrators boarded a rig contracted by Statoil from Transocean that was bound for work in the northern reaches of the Barents Sea. Around half of them surrendered their campaign voluntarily this week and Statoil said the seven activists who remained behind are in the custody of Norwegian police.

"Statoil is very pleased that the illegal action on the rig now has ended without anyone being injured," the company said in a statement.

The Norwegian company said the rig, Transocean Spitsbergen, is now on its way to the Hoop reserve area in the Barents Sea. Its permit for drilling, however, depends on the Norwegian government's decision on a Greenpeace complaint.

The action from Greenpeace included a campaign against Russian energy company Gazprom. Six of the 30 campaigners who targeted a Gazprom rig were seized by Norwegian police earlier this week.

The so-called Arctic 30, a group of Greenpeace activists, were arrested for similar actions against Gazprom last year.