The protesters attached a pod to the rig

It was the second demonstration by the group since US President George W. Bush pulled out of the Kyoto accord to tackle climate change

The campaigners boarded the drilling vessel in the Blake field in the North Sea on Friday despite warnings from the crew they were not permitted to come on board.

The Santa Fe, which is due to move to another location to begin pipe-laying operations, could not safely proceed to its new task because of the protesters.

Reading-based BG International, which has a licence for exploration in the Blake field, successfully moved for an interim interdict at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.

Lord Johnston ordered that the activists should remove themselves from the rig and that Greenpeace should disclose any information they had as to the identity of those taking part in the occupation.

The protesters were inside a three-metre bell-shaped survival capsule which they hoisted up to the underside of the platform.

We're very pleased that we've stopped BG's rig for drilling for such a long time now

Greenpeace spokesman Rob Gueterbock

Two Grampian Police officers were sent out to monitor the protest.

Greenpeace spokesman Rob Gueterbock described the protest as peaceful and said it is over the threat to global warming from the opening up of new oil fields.

He said: ""The Greenpeace volunteers have been in the pod up on the rig stopping it drilling now for over 24 hours.

"We're very pleased that we've stopped BG's rig for drilling for such a long time now because if BG restarts its drills it really is another nail in the coffin for millions of people.

"More oil means more floods, more storms, more drought and more disease. Our only hope of stopping global warming from careering out of control is to keep three quarters of the oil, coal and gas we've already found locked under ground.

Second demonstration

A spokesman for BG International said its priority was the safe operation of the rig while the protest was taking place.

However, he added: "The protesters cannot claim to have disrupted production because the rig was not in production anyway.

"As for their claims, oil companies are working within the law and withinguidelines laid down by the UK Government, which allow them to produce oil."

The protest comes just days after Greenpeace staged a similar demonstration on a drill rig leaving for the North Sea when nine activists spend a night perched 179ft above the water in the Cromarty Firth, 20 miles north of Inverness.

That protest was over the behaviour of the United States oil giant Jet and the policy of the United States Government on global warming.