(Bloomberg) -- Environmental groups blocked oil terminals owned by BP Plc, Exxon Mobil Corp. and Esso U.K. Ltd., in protest over British government policies to extract more fossil fuels.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he wants to encourage more drilling in the North Sea to boost domestic oil and natural gas output as the U.K. seeks to bolster energy security following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Extinction Rebellion has blocked three oil facilities, saying it's aligned with the International Energy Agency, which has said there should be no new investments in oil, gas and coal to tackle the climate crisis.
Exxon Mobil U.K. said it has temporarily suspended operations at its fuel terminals in Hythe, Birmingham, Purfleet and West London, where protests are taking place.
Extinction Rebellion protesters used pink boats to block some sites, while others locked themselves onto tripods or barrels filled with concrete. A spokesman said the protests would continue for as long as the group had the resources.
Other facilities were blocked by a broader coalition of protesters, known as Just Stop Oil. They said people sat in the road to block trucks from leaving, while others climbed on top of oil tankers, including more than 30 young people at the Navigator Oil Terminal in Thurrock. Essex Police said they had arrested six people in Thurrock.
The U.K. may publish its strategy on energy security as soon as next week. It's expected to focus on homegrown sources of energy like offshore wind, solar and nuclear. There have been calls from some members of the Conservative Party to end the ban on fracking. On Thursday, Cuadrilla Resources Ltd. was granted an extension to continue to explore fracking at three wells in Britain.
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