Two Greenpeace activists have been charged after a weekend occupation of Woodside Energy’s Scarborough floating production unit off Western Australia forced the company to suspend pre-commissioning activities.
Four activists, who arrived on Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior vessel on Saturday morning, scaled the 70,000-tonne semisubmersible facility, located about 375 km off the Pilbara coast.
The protesters unfurled a 12-metre by 14-metre banner reading ‘Stop Woodside’s Dirty Gas. Save Scott Reef’, with two spending the night in suspended tents attached to the structure while the others returned to the vessel.
The occupation ended on Sunday after police arrived by helicopter and removed the remaining protesters.
In a joint statement on Monday, the Australian Border Force, Western Australia Police, and offshore regulator NOPSEMA said two men, aged 48 and 52, had been charged with interfering with operations of offshore petroleum installations.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Both men were due to appear before Karratha Magistrates Court on Monday.
Woodside confirmed it paused pre-commissioning work on the Scarborough unit after the unauthorised access, describing the action as dangerous, reckless, and illegal.
Greenpeace maintained the protest was peaceful and aimed to pressure the Australian government to reject Woodside’s separate Browse gas development near Scott Reef.
The environmental group claims the Browse proposal, which could involve drilling up to 57 wells around Australia’s largest oceanic reef, threatens endangered pygmy blue whales, green sea turtles and other marine life.
Greenpeace continued its campaign on Monday, delivering a 47-metre-long petition bearing nearly half a million signatures to Woodside’s headquarters in Perth.
The disruption comes as Woodside moves towards first LNG production from Scarborough. The project was 98% complete at the end of June, with the first LNG cargo targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026.
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