Clean up operations: at the Montara oil project
- PTTEP setback again at Montara
- Third try at Montara
- PTTEP pays to scan Montara damage
- 'Montara woes won't hit sales flows'
- PTTEP setback at Montara
- Montara legal threat 'premature'
- Relief for Montara
- Fears grow for wildlife
- New chief for NOPSA
- 'Oz should impose WA moratorium'
- PTTEP rubbishes talk of Montara fire
- WWF team weighs up Montara damage
- Montara is on course
- Garrett slams Montara claims
- Montara relief effort makes headway
- PTTEP to try again after plug bid fails
- Montara move
- Delay pushes back Montara relief bid
- PTTEP plodding along on Montara leak
Montara spill bill hits $5m
The oil spill from PTTEP’s Montara project in the ocean off the north-west coast of Australia has so far cost taxpayers A$5.3 million (US$4.9 million), it was revealed in Senate estimates.
The deputy chief executive of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Gary Prosser, said the company responsible for the leak, Thailand’s PTTEP, had so far paid back only A$3.8 million of the money spent by taxpayers.
The company last week signed an agreement with the Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, to clean up and monitor operations in response to the spill.
The Greens' Senator Rachel Siewert said the money paid back by the company did not cover expected losses by the fishing and tourism industry, which could cost up to A$8 million.
Siewert said A$5.3 million was expected to be paid back by the company, but the fishing and tourism losses strengthened the call by the Greens for a trust fund to protect nearby communities.
The revelations came after Environment Department representatives said 25 sea birds affected by the oil spill had been found on nearby Ashmore Reef. Sixteen birds later died.
The Environment Department officials said the oil slick from the West Atlas oil rig was now 198 kilometres from the Indonesian coast. Some West Timorese fishermen were reported to have found dead fish from the slick in their catches.
PTTEP will make a fourth attempt to stop the oil spill tomorrow. Oil and gas has been leaking from the West Atlas rig for over eight weeks at a rate of 400 barrels a day.
The opposition spokesman on energy and resources, Ian Macfarlane, said if the fourth attempt to block the leak with mud failed, then crew could board the rig in an attempt to stop the leak. However, the government ruled out such a measure because it was regarded as too dangerous, a report in the Sydney Morning Herald said.