WA Today 15 Oct 09;
The operators of an oil well leaking into the Timor Sea for more than seven weeks could be monitoring the site for years, a scientist says.
Oil has been leaking into the ocean near PTTEP Australasia's West Atlas rig since August 21, at a rate initially estimated to be up to 400 barrels a day.
Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett on Thursday announced a deal had been struck with the Thai-based company for it to pay for environmental monitoring in the Timor Sea for at least two years.
Two attempts to plug the well in the last week have been unsuccessful and another bid is planned for Saturday.
PTTEP has appointed Australian environmental scientist John Wardrop to manage the immediate and long-term monitoring programs.
Mr Wardrop said the monitoring program was one of the biggest in Australia in response to an oil spill.
"It really depends on how the studies go, some of them may last for one year," Mr Wardrop told AAP.
"For example, if we find with our water quality sampling, there is no simply no residual oil ... there's probably little chance of that being required in subsequent years.
"Some of these studies I'm sure will go for a number of years."
The leaking facility at PTTEP's Montara oilfield is more than 200 kilometres off Western Australia's Kimberley coast.
Conservationists have been critical of the company and the federal government's response to the oil spill, which occurred in an area that's home to a number of endangered species.
West Australian Greens senator Scott Ludlum said on Thursday PTTEP had been keen to downplay the impact of the spill.
Senator Ludlum said a two-year monitoring program was not long enough to monitor the life cycles of some fish species.
"It needs to be at least six years," Senator Ludlum told AAP.
Reports of dead fish and dolphins in Indonesian waters were concerning, Senator Ludlum said.
"This pollution does not respect international marine boundaries," he said.
Mr Wardrop said issues surrounding the monitoring of Indonesian waters would be dealt with by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
He said he would be surprised if fish stocks in the Timor Sea were adversely affected by the oil spill.
"I would be surprised if there was an impact on the fisheries as such, that tends not to be that case when you have spills, even very large spills in open bodies of water," Mr Wardrop said.
"Where we've seen damage it's been very large spills in shore, in shallow waters."
Mr Wardrop said there was minimal risk of the oil, which he describes as "relatively light", leaving any residual on the seabed.
But it was possible it could leave a residual on reefs in the area, which were being monitored.
PTTEP said it was on track to make a third pass on Saturday to intercept the leaking well, which it plans to plug with mud.
The company is utilising electro-magnetic equipment that it says has never failed in similar relief efforts.
The company is paying for the costs of clean-up efforts and spill control by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which has been spraying dispersant to break up the oil slick and monitoring it on a daily basis.
AAP
