Our first victory against Mediterranean Oil and Gas

The Italian Ministry of the Environment has sent MOG's drilling project back to the drawing board on March 15th 2010.

Due to the avalanche of letters of protest to the Ministry - signed by the Catholic Church, the entire Province of Chieti, about 20 municipalities, tourist operators, scientists, medical doctors, fishermen, students, water sports associations, environmental and cultural groups, the Ministry did not allow not grant Mediterranean Oil and Gas the right to drill us.

MOG has itself called for a temporal suspension of their permits, and while trying to figure out what to do next, their CEO - Sergio Morandi - went on Italian TV telling people his rigs will be "safe".

Right. Just like the ones in Lousiana and Australia and Venezuela that have exploded recently.

It was the first time in Italian history that the Ministry of the Environment had been flooded with so many documents, criticizing and calling for authorities not to allow MOG to go ahead with its out-of-this-world plan.

The latter consists of drilling about 5 wells 3 miles offshore, and placing a floating offloading, storage and processing unit in one of the most beautiful seas of central Italy. Nowhere in the world has an FPSO been placed so close to shore, in such shallow waters, and in such close proximity to people's homes and beaches. The FPSO is designed to burn about 100 tons of toxic waste everyday, and will process mostly sour and heavy crude, oil of the worst kind.

On April 18th 2010, about 5000 people convened - under the rain - to say no to Mr. Sergio Morandi's plan.

Go back to London, gentlemen, you will save yourselves money and time.

We will not let you drill our waters. We simply will not.