The activists on board the Transocean Spitsbergen are now in the hands of Norwegian police.
The rig was on its way for planned exploration drilling in the Hoop-area in the Barents Sea when Greenpeace activists boarded the rig in the early hours of Tuesday, 27 May.
Statoil is very pleased that the illegal action on the rig now has ended without anyone being injured.
The rig will now prepare for transit to the drilling site for the Apollo well in the Hoop area. Statoil has a permit to start the drilling operations, but awaits a final decision on a Greenpeace appeal to the Norwegian Ministry of climate and environment before drilling into oil-bearing layers.
Adapted from a press release by David Bizley