Several Greenpeace activists have now been airlifted off a Statoil-operated rig in the Barents Sea as a demonstration that threatens to delay a controversial wildcat in the Arctic region appeared to be weakening on Wednesday.

Statoil said only seven out of 15 activists that boarded the Transocean Spitsbergen in the early hours of Tuesday morning now remained on the rig as the protest against Arctic drilling entered its second day.

Greenpeace said though in a statement that 10 activists had braved the biting Arctic cold overnight on the rig after five decided to end their protest and were airlifted by helicopter to Hammerfest.

A Greenpeace spokesperson later said three of the activists had returned temporarily to Greenpeace support ship Esperanza located nearby for rest and warmth but insisted the remaining seven on the rig ”are ready to stay there for the long haul”.

Finnish activist Sini Saarela, who was among the so-called Arctic 30 arrested by Russian security forces after a similar action last year, was hanging in a pod underneath the rig with climber Rosa Gierens and said: “I have long experience with this and am not cold.”

None of the activists have been arrested, the green group stated.

Statoil stated: “We are satisfied that some of the activists have given up and decided the leave the rig voluntarily, but we are still concerned for the safety of those remaining on the rig.

“Greenpeace has gained the publicity it has the tradition of seeking and we have encouraged them not to test the safety limits any further.”

The state-owned explorer has said the rig, which was boarded by Greenpeace while en route to drill the Apollo prospect in the Hoop area of the Barents, would not move to the drilling site as long as the activists were onboard.

A Statoil spokesman was quoted as saying by Bloomberg that drilling of the well, scheduled to start by the end of this month, could be delayed if the protest continues.

The company said it has had a dialogue with Greenpeace in recent months to inform of its exploration and emergency response plans in the area, giving the environmental group the opportunity to provide feedback and ask questions.

“The risk connected with such actions against a rig in open seas has been clearly explained to Greenpeace. We consider it to be irresponsible and illegal that the group still resorts to such action,” Statoil said.