Today the Noble Bob Douglas Drill Ship was confronted at sea by one of the six Oil Free Seas flotilla.
Noble Bob Douglas, is conducting work for NZ based oil giant Anadarko NZ, in the Taranaki Basin, which is scheduled to conduct oil exploration more than 100 nautical miles west of Raglan.
The ship is scheduled to drill one well at 1500m below water.
Last week, Anadarko and the Government issued a shipping notice warning skippers to stay 500m clear of the well site.
One of the skippers of the Vega Ship says that they were floating above the well site earlier in the day before they were pushed by the drill ship.
Under Statutory Law, protesters can be prosecuted, if they come within 500m of a drill ship.
Drilling is not set to start for some days, and at this stage the safety zone is not in effect.
But once it is, the crew of the Vega will have to decide whether to adhere, or to continue its sentry of the proposed drilling site.