Sure, here’s the translated news article with HTML tags intact:
Environmental activists blocked gas terminal on Saturday
Greta Thunberg and activists from Extinction Rebellion blocked the gas processing facility in Kårstø, Rogaland, on Saturday. The activists removed themselves Saturday evening.
– Extinction Rebellion (XR) announced a full blockade of Kårstø, the activists warned on Saturday.
The activists told Stavanger Aftenblad that the plan was to stay at Kårstø in Tysvær municipality throughout the day and that the action had been planned for several months. The background is the ONS fair (Offshore Northern Seas) where the energy industry gathers, which begins in Stavanger on Monday.
On Saturday evening, the activists had left, the South-West police district informed NRK.
Eight kayaks and three motorboats were used to prevent the normal operation of tankers.
– The entrances to Kårstø on land are blocked by people of all ages, including Greta Thunberg and Equinor employee geologist Daniel Sollien, the activists told Stavanger Aftenblad.
Equinor informed NRK that operations at the facility had not been affected by the action.
Equinor employee led the action
– Despite the fact that I really love my job, I am here because the situation is so serious, and way too little is being done. Equinor and the politicians need to create a plan for phasing out oil and gas now. I can no longer just sit on the sidelines; I have to act, said Equinor geologist Daniel Sollien to Aftenbladet on Saturday.
The Kårstø processing facility is a facility for the landing and treatment of natural gas and light oil (condensate) from Statfjord, Gullfaks, Sleipner, Åsgard, and several other petroleum fields in the North Sea and Norwegian Sea via the pipelines Statpipe, Åsgard transport, and Sleipner East condensate pipeline. The facilities at Kårstø have been in operation since 1985.
According to the activists, this was the first time Greta Thunberg demonstrated against Norwegian oil and gas operations.
– Deadly industry
According to Thunberg, the activities of the oil companies lead to “death and suffering,” and she labels the industry as “deadly.”
– We cannot passively watch while the fossil industry kills people and destabilizes our vital systems. We are tired of empty words and greenwashing – it is crystal clear that the behavior of oil companies leads to death and suffering, said Greta Thunberg.
– We are privileged to have the opportunity to act, and therefore we choose to physically stop this deadly industry with our bodies, said the 21-year-old Swede.
– Will not remove the protesters
Incident commander Henning Vik at the South-West police district stated that the police were alerted around 9:30 AM on Saturday. He did not want to remove the activists from the site.
– For now, the demonstration is peaceful, and they are allowed to express what they wish to convey. We will continue to monitor so that this does not impact operations or pose a danger to life and health, Vik told NTB.
There were large waves at the site, and the police were concerned for the protesters in the relatively small boats.
– The Coast Guard is on its way and will be on standby in case any dangerous situations arise.
Little production
Equinor told Reuters that Norwegian gas exports to Europe would not be affected by the action.
– Activists are trying to block our oil terminal at sea and some entrances on land. The oil terminal processes condensate and has a “very small production,” said the spokesperson.
To NRK, Randi Viksund, communications director at Gassco, said they were aware of the action and were monitoring the situation.
– We will always prioritize safety at the facility, says Viksund.
The facility was kept in operation throughout the day of the action.