The protesters boarded the offshore installation Saturday, remaining overnight to voice opposition against Woodside’s broader development strategy. Greenpeace claims the project threatens a reef system inhabited by endangered whale species, a charge the energy major flatly denies, maintaining its facilities pose no risk to the local ecosystem. While the Scarborough project is nearly complete—aiming for an annual output of 8 million tons of liquefied natural gas—this disruption threatens to derail its year-end launch.

A Woodside spokesperson condemned the occupation, noting that the incident diverted critical Western Australian safety and security resources. The company argued that the activists’ presence actually introduced environmental and physical risks to the site. Authorities have since charged the pair with interfering with offshore petroleum operations, setting the stage for a legal battle that mirrors the escalating tension between climate advocacy groups and Australia’s multi-billion dollar gas sector, which also includes the massive $34 billion Browse development.