Greenpeace protest against oil drilling by Danish warship in the Arctic

The environmental campaign group said their protest ship, The Esperanza, was confronted by the Danish Vessel in the waters off Greenland, where company Cairn Energy, based in Edinburgh, is drilling the second of two exploratory wells.

A security zone of 500m has been established around each of the British-controlled rigs. The protestors, after agreeing to respect the zone, said they were warned that the ship will be raided and the captain arrested if the ship breaches the barrier.

The Greenpeace group said it had gone to the site to prevent an ‘Arctic oil rush’.

The Greenland government invited Cairn to operate offshore, as it believes that oil and gas exploration offers potential for economic and social development in Greenland.

Greenpeace campaigner Leila Deen, who is aboard the Esperanza, said “To see a huge drilling rig in this beautiful and fragile environment is deeply shocking “…The tragic oil disasters in the Gulf and in China this year clearly illustrate the need to go beyond oil.”

Deen added "Climate change is already having an impact on millions of people around the world but oil companies are completely ignoring the new reality we face. That's why we're here to deliver a message to them in person - go home now."

Spokesperson for Cairn David Nisbet said Cairn Energy is there at the invitation of the Greenlandic Government. "We are aware of Greenpeace's stated intentions. Cairn fully respects the rights of everybody to voice their opinions and that different parties have differing views,” he said.

"The Greenlandic government has established some of the most stringent regulations globally. These policies are modelled on those applied in Norway and recognised as being some of the strictest in the world,” Nisbet said.

The Arctic, one of the most remote and extreme areas on the planet, is believed to hold the world's largest reserves of untapped oil and gas.