SOS Black Sea: Greenpeace’s Giant Lifering Demands End to Oil and Gas Drilling

Vama Veche, 22 September 2025 — Nearly 50 Greenpeace activists from Bulgaria and Romania gathered on the sandy border between the two countries to send a powerful message: no new oil and gas drilling in the Black Sea. On September 21, they deployed a giant lifering symbolizing a lifeline for the sea and the communities that depend on it.

“They are selling us the illusion of energy independence through domestic gas extraction. But gas from the seabed will be neither Bulgarian nor Romanian — it will belong to the concession holder, who will sell it back at market prices. Governments will co-finance these projects, but whether they benefit is questionable. What we really get is pollution, not prosperity,” said Meglena Antonova, Director of Greenpeace Bulgaria.

“We cannot achieve energy independence by letting oil and gas giants profit at our expense. The real solution lies in accelerating renewable energy and efficiency,” Antonova added.

Currently, several large-scale drilling projects threaten the Black Sea: Neptun Deep (OMV Petrom/Romgaz) in Romanian waters; Han Asparuh (OMV Petrom/Romgaz and NewMed) and Han Tervel (Shell) in Bulgarian waters; and Sakarya (TPAO) in Turkish waters. The Black Sea, an enclosed sea with limited exchange with the world’s oceans, is particularly vulnerable.

A single oil spill, methane leak, or chemical discharge — all common risks in the fossil fuel industry — could devastate fragile marine ecosystems and cripple fishing and tourism, the backbone of many coastal livelihoods. Activists called on the governments of Bulgaria and Romania to stop financing oil and gas projects and to ban new offshore drilling.

“The Black Sea is under mounting pressure, and new oil and gas projects are among the most dangerous threats. The public already understands this — nearly 80,000 Romanians and Bulgarians have signed petitions calling for a ban on new drilling. The science is clear too: we must stop drilling for fossil fuels to avoid the worst of the climate crisis. We urge our governments to ban new drilling and instead build durable, clean solutions,” said Alin Tanase, Climate & Energy Campaign Coordinator at Greenpeace Romania.

The Black Sea is already on the frontline of multiple threats: military activity, pollution, overfishing, biodiversity loss, and one of the fastest warming rates of any sea due to climate change. New drilling would pile on more pressure.

“The sea should unite us, not divide us. Life here knows no borders — it sustains coastal communities across the region. War has already placed enormous strain on this ecosystem. 

More fossil fuel extraction could push it to the brink,” said Sofiia Sadogurska, PhD, an Ukrainian marine biologist who joined the action.

The lifebuoy installation stayed on the beach throughout the day, a striking reminder that the Black Sea is in peril. Volunteers from Ukraine, Croatia, and Slovakia also joined activists from Bulgaria and Romania to call for urgent regional cooperation to protect it.