Woodside pauses Australian gas project after Greenpeace protest

Greenpeace activists boarded a floating production unit of Woodside's 12.5 billion Australian dollar Scarborough gas project off Western Australia on Oct 17, and two stayed overnight in hanging tents.

Woodside said it paused pre-commissioning work at Scarborough after the unauthorised access, and special police forces landed on the platform by helicopter on Oct 18 and took the two activists into custody.

The protest targets Woodside's planned Browse gas project, which environmental groups say threatens Scott Reef, Australia's largest standalone oceanic reef.

Resources Minister Madeleine King said the activists broke several laws and called the protest “reckless behaviour in the extreme.”

— Madeleine King, Australia's resources minister