ENVIRONMENTAL group Greenpeace disrupted attempts by US oil company Conoco to survey for crude in British Atlantic waters west of the Shetland Islands yesterday.

The group launched two inflatable dinghies from the vessel MV Greenpeace late morning, each towing a rattling oil barrel.

These were attached to, and disrupted, the sensitive acoustic equipment towed behind the survey ship Atlantic Explorer, which is working for Conoco.

The group also removed navigational equipment from the acoustic equipment but said this would be returned to the survey vessel.

"It was a serious move but the industry has to be stopped," said campaigner Robbie Kelman from the MV Greenpeace. "Oil companies will not put the climate before profit so we must do it for them."

"Conoco deplores any irresponsible stunt," a company spokesman said. "Greenpeace has interfered...but our operators are still continuing."

"We have prevented them doing effective testing runs all day," said a spokesperson from Greenpeace's London headquarters.

In early June Greenpeace activists occupied for four hours the London headquarters of Conoco, one of the 14 companies awarded the right to explore in the Atlantic in Britain's 17th oil licensing round.

Greenpeace applied for all the oil licenses with the intention of turning the 22,000 square miles into a marine wildlife sanctuary.

But the bid was rejected by Britain's Department of Trade and Industry.

Greenpeace campaigners then seized the remote Atlantic outcrop of Rockall and proclaimed a new state of "Waveland" in a gesture it said was aimed at protecting the ocean from oil exploration.

At the end of June activists also delayed the start of seismic survey being carried out by US oil giant Texaco, also in the same region.

Greenpeace has also lodged legal protests in the UK. The High Court is expected to decide next week whether the group's case against the government can proceed.