SIX Greenpeace activists who scaled an Arctic-bound Shell oil drilling rig in the middle of the Pacific Ocean abseiled down on Saturday.

The oil giant had earlier secured a restraining order against the environmental group.

The protesters had camped out for nearly a week on the 38,000-ton Polar Pioneer platform, which they boarded 750 miles north-west of Hawaii from the Greenpeace vessel Esperanza.

The rig is on its way to the Arctic.

“We’re pleased the court agreed to a restraining order,” said Shell spokeswoman Kelly op de Weegh.

“It’s unfortunate we had to pursue this legal action, but we don’t want a repeat of previous illegal stunts.

“These tactics are not peaceful protests,” she claimed.

“They jeopardise the safety of people working on board and the protesters themselves.”

Shell was “open to an honest discussion about the challenges and benefits of exploring in the Arctic,” the spokeswoman claimed.

Greenpeace confirmed that activists hailing from the US, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden and Austria had abseiled off the drilling rig and into inflatable boats before returning to the Esperanza, which was waiting nearby.

Greenpeace US executive director Annie Leonard said: “It’s astounding that Shell seems to think it has the right to jeopardise our environment and our economy without being accountable.

“I thank the climbers for letting them know that millions of us are watching their every move, because there is simply no such thing as safe drilling in the Arctic.”

by Our Foreign Desk