WWF sends researchers to inspect oil leak off Australia

Guy McLean, ABC News 24 Sep 09;

A team of researchers will set sail from Darwin today to find out more about the environmental impact of a large oil spill in the Timor Sea, off Western Australia's north coast. Thousands of tonnes of oil and gas have been pouring from the West Atlas rig for the past month.

Dr Gilly Llewellyn, WWF Australia's conservation director, says the affected area is home to many rare species.

"There's a bit of a myth out there that an oil spill is only a disaster when it washes up on beaches," she said.

"And I mean there's been a lot of talk and a lot of information about how toxic oil can be when it's in the open ocean.

"What we'll be looking for is types of marine wildlife, such as sea turtles, sea snakes, sea birds and any sort of whales or dolphins that might be in there."

However, she says no one knows exactly what the team will find.

"We need to have some eyes on the water, some information from scientists, ecologists, people experienced at doing wildlife surveys of what creatures are at risk in the area that's been affected," she said.

A spokesman for the federal Environment Department says it has already done preliminary tests on fish collected in the vicinity of the spill and no visible oil contamination was detected.

Further toxicology testing of the fish is being carried out but those results will not be available for at least a fortnight.

The company responsible for the West Atlas rig says another rig is being used to block the leak but that job could take another three or four weeks to complete.