Garrett brushes off oil spill criticism

The Federal Government has rejected Opposition criticism of its response to a large oil spill off Western Australia's north-west coast.

Oil has been leaking from an oil rig in the Timor Sea for more than two months and attempts to plug it have so far failed.

The Opposition says it is concerned about the environmental damage and says the Government is not doing enough to prevent an environmental disaster.

A spokesman for the Federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, says the Government has had monitoring teams on site from the beginning and has put in place long-term monitoring plans.

The company responsible for the oil rig says it will make another attempt at plugging the leak tomorrow.

Five new exploration licences and access to several oilfields in Australian waters is rewarded to PTTEP

The ongoing Montara / West Atlas oil spill in the Timor Sea off Western Australia is now in its 62nd day. So far, three attempts to intercept and plug the leaking well have failed. Another attempt should happen within a day. A MODIS / Terra satellite image taken on October 21 - exactly two months after the blowout and spill began - shows slicks and sheen covering 2,600 square miles and approaching within 35 miles of the Kimberley coast.

Dark patches at center are discontinuous slicks and sheen, coming within 35 miles (30 nautical miles) of the Australian coast. Other dark patches to the south and southwest may be a combination of slicks and sheen obscured by calm, low-wind conditions. Bright patch to right of slicks is intense area of sunglint reflection. Clouds are scattered throughout this image, especially over Western Australia's rugged Kimberley Coast. Ashmore and Cartier Islands are aqua blue spots in the upper left.

THE company responsible for one of the biggest oil spills in Australian history was yesterday given access to more Australian oilfields, after winning support from the Rudd Government.

As its workers began their fourth attempt at fixing the Montara oil leak off the Kimberley coast, Thai company PTTEP yesterday took control of five new exploration licences and several oilfields in Australian waters.

Despite growing concerns about the impact of the two-month oil leak, the $11 million purchase of new oil assets was supported by Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson and Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board.

Purchased from fellow oil exploration company OMV, the licences give PTTEP control of an extra 1480 square kilometres of Australian waters near the leaking Montara rig, about 650 kilometres west of Darwin.

With the Montara leak yet to be resolved, the deal prompted concern from scientists and environmentalists such as University of West Australia associate professor of marine ecology Euan Harvey.

''They need to demonstrate they cannot impact on others' livelihoods or on the ecosystem, and at the moment they've demonstrated very clearly that they can't do that,'' he said.

Professor Harvey, who has spent recent years researching marine biology in the waters close to the spill, said the oil slick posed a big risk to the larvae of large finfish, which spawn in October.

Australian Marine Conservation Society spokesman Darren Kindleysides said PTTEP's track record should be taken into account before access was granted to new oilfields.

''Clearly PTTEP's track record has been pretty shabby in recent months,'' he said. ''Major questions still hang unanswered over why this spill happened and why it hasn't been plugged yet.''

Australian Conservation Foundation spokesman Chris Smyth called the timing extraordinary.

Third attempt fails to plug oil and gas leak

A Thai-based oil company on Saturday failed in its third attempt to plug a leaking rig that has spilled thousands of barrels of crude into seas off Australia, alarming environmentalists.

PTTEP Australasia said it had missed its target for a relief well some 2.6 kilometres (1.6 miles) below the seabed for the third time this month, and would try again in the coming days.

The leaking wellhead, some 25 centimetres (10 inches) wide, has been gushing off Australia's northwest since August 21 with estimates putting the discharge at 400 barrels a day.

"Setting up for each pass sequence takes between three and four days," PTTEP said in a statement.

"Implementing the pass sequence must then be undertaken during daylight hours for safety reasons.

"Once the leaking well is successfully intercepted, heavy mud will be pumped from the West Triton down into the relief well, displacing the oil, gas and water and stopping the flow."

The spill is reportedly Australia's worst since offshore drilling began more than 40 years ago, and ecologists fear the toxic cocktail of oil and dispersant chemicals could threaten marine and coastal species.

Environment Minister Peter Garrett, ex-frontman of rock band Midnight Oil, this week said PTTEP had agreed to pay for environmental monitoring of the area for at least two years.

The worst oil spill in Australia's history

It is eight weeks to the day since oil started leaking uncontrollably from the West Atlas drill rig in the Timor Sea, almost 3000 tonnes of oil are estimated to have polluted the ocean. This is one of the worst oil spills in Australia's history. The company responsible, PTTEP, has failed to cap the leak and failed to meet their promises of stopping the spill within 6-8 weeks, says the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS).

"Eight weeks, almost 3000 tonnes of oil and one failed promise later and still this toxic spill continues. While industry is hurrying to play down the impact of this disaster on the environment, public patience with the polluters is wearing very thin," said Darren Kindleysides, AMCS Director.

"The West Atlas spill has become a dirty stain on Australia's environmental reputation," he continued. "Over the last eight weeks we have learned three things: there is no such thing as risk free oil and gas production at sea; when things go wrong they go badly wrong; and our oceans are woefully under-protected from the oil and gas industry."

"We welcome the agreement between the company and Government to monitor the impacts of this spill for two years, but it cannot be described as a long-term program. The effects of major oil spills elsewhere in the world have been felt by wildlife, fisheries and the marine environment over a decade after the incidents. To begin to get a handle on the legacy of damage left by the West Atlas disaster, we will need monitoring to be funded for at least five years," concluded Kindleysides.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society is calling on the Australian Government to:

1. Protect the most important areas for marine wildlife by establishing large marine sanctuaries, setting these areas aside from oil and gas exploration.

2. Place a moratorium on opening up any more areas for oil and gas exploration until the current marine bioregional planning process is complete.

3. Ensure, under the polluter pays principle, that PTTEP foot the bill for at least five years, and preferably ten, monitoring the impacts of this spill on our ocean wildlife.

Oil continues to poison the Timor Sea

Today marks eight weeks since the West Atlas rig in the Timor Sea - between Australia and East Timor - started leaking oil at the rate of some 400 barrels a day. PTTEP Australasia hopes to intercept the leaking well tomorrow - the company's third attempt.

The Federal Government has announced an environmental monitoring program which the company will pay for. But the Greens say the government should ensure the program runs for longer than two years. The Greens believe the environmental impact of the spill has been much bigger than the government, and the company involved, are letting on.

And in news just to hand, Indonesian fisherman say the Timor oil spill has killed thousands of fish.
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/200910/s2715861.htm

Strike Two FAILED

A second attempt to stop the flow of oil leaking from a rig off Australia's north coast has failed.

The West Atlas oil rig in the Timor Sea has been leaking oil into the ocean for more than seven weeks.

PTTEP Australasia failed in its first attempt to stop the leak last week.

The company says it expects to be able to make another attempt to plug the hole this weekend.

"We will now re-run the vector magnetics tools tonight to see how close we are to the target," PTTEP Australasia director Jose Martins said.

"Our drilling experts are hopeful that we will not need such a long side track to hit it on the next pass."

He says today's unsuccessful attempt is disappointing, but the chances of hitting the target are now higher.

"The closer we get to the target with each pass, the more certain we become of its location."

A Greens Senator is calling for Australia's response plan to oil and gas spills to be drastically improved.

Senator Scott Ludlam says the response to the spill should have been quicker.

Second pass to intercept the leaking well

PTTEP will make a second pass to intercept the leaking well in the Montara field today, after initial attempts were blocked by hard rocks under the seabed.

The damaged well, which blew out on 21 August, has been leaking hydrocarbons into the Timor Sea for seven weeks.

Work continued today on the salvage operations after a fresh delay last Friday.

The sidetrack well being drilled by Seadrill’s jack-up West Triton to intercept the leak encountered a “very hard, deep rock formation” last week, slowing the work progress, PTTEP said.

The drilling team onboard West Triton will use a rotary steerable assembly to drill up to 2738 metres within several metres of the calculated target, before attempting the second pass.

The aim is to intersect a piece of steel casing 25 centimetres in diameter, 2.6 kilometres below the seabed.

Environmental groups claim the isolated area affected by the Montara leak is home to a number of endangered species.

Indonesia has dispatched a team of officials last week to monitor Australia's response to the oil spill, saying it feared the contamination could harm the country’s marine life.

Shell to build floating LNG plant

Shell is to build the world's first floating LNG processing plant off the West Australian coast.

The company plans to process gas from its Prelude and Concerto fields in the Browse Basin off the Kimberley coast using floating LNG technology.

Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson says the technology will allow remote gas fields, which may otherwise have been not viable, to be unlocked.

"Obviously historically we have had LNG hubs on the mainland. On this occasion it's a choice between having gas reserves stranded or looking at a new technology," he said.

Goolarabooloo and Jabirr Jabirr SAY NO TO GAS

Statement by Joseph Roe, Senior Law Boss, Registered Applicant of Goolaraboo / Jabirr Jabirr Country, (which includes James Price Point).

Senator Louise Pratt has invited other Senators, Members of the House of Representatives and their staff to attend a “Kimberley briefing” next Wednesday. She is hosting the briefing on behalf of the Kimberley Land Council (KLC). The KLC’s notice promises a presentation by KLC’s Executive Officer, Mr Wayne
Bergmann, and “senior men and women Kimberley Traditional Owners”.

Senator Pratt is acting in good faith. However, the KLC has no authority to negotiate with anybody about the development of James Price Point. Nor has anybody else at this stage.

James Price Point is situated north of Broome, in the Dampier Peninsula. It is included in the Native Title Claim lodged in 1994 by myself and Cyril Shaw “on behalf of the Goolarabooloo and Jabirr Jabirr Peoples” (G-JJ). Other Dampier Peninsula claims have since been made but no other group has disputed G-JJ’s
entitlement to James Price Point. It is universally recognised as Goolarabooloo Jabirr Jabirr land.

My grandfather, Paddy Roe, was Senior Cultural Law Boss of Goolarabooloo / Jabirr Jabirr country and the Broome area for approximately five decades. Shortly before his death in 1992, he and the other G/JJ Elders formally appointed me as his successor.

In 1987, Paddy Roe initiated the Lurujarri Heritage Trail. Its route, a nine-day walk along the Dampier Peninsula coast, follows that of the Northern Tradition Song Cycle that has been handed down to us through many generations. Paddy Roe wished young G-JJ people to learn about their Country and Culture. He also wished to build cultural bridges with other people. He wanted the trail to be frequently walked in the company of Goolarabooloo Jabirr Jabirr Elders. I have carried on that tradition. Participation is greater than ever. Thousands of people, including Goolarabooloo Jabirr Jabirr, other indigenous peoples, non-indigenous Australians and many foreign visitors have walked the trail, learning along the way.

James Price Point (Walmadan) is midway in the Lurujarri Heritage Trail. Its development as a Gas Precinct would destroy the trail. It would also adversely affect the other traditional activities carried out in that area. It would be a betrayal of my heritage, and responsibility as Senior Law Boss, for me ever to agree to its industrialisation. Most of my people agree with me. They share my view that no amount of money could compensate for loss of their heritage. They ask why they should be expected to sacrifice so much for benefits,like health and education services, that other Australians receive as birth right.

Mr Bergmann claims the “Traditional Owners’ consented to the development of James Price Point at a meeting held on 14-15 April. That is not true. That was not just a meeting of the Goolarabooloo Jabirr Jabirr people; it was also open to Djabera Djabera people, whose claim does not overlap ours, and any other person
who claimed to be of G/JJ descent. I have repeatedly asked Mr Bergmann for a list of those who attended and, of those, who was eligible to vote. He has never provided either to me. I doubt that that any list was made.

Few Goolarabooloo people attended the meeting. None of the Goolarabooloo people knew that the KLC planned to take a vote about entering an agreement with Woodside Energy and the WA government. The notice calling the meeting stated only one item of business: “Update on Negotiations about the Premier’s nomination for a Gas Precinct around James Price Point.” Most of Goolarabooloo, who all oppose the whole
idea of the Gas Precinct, elected not to attend. They were not interested in these inappropriate negotiations.

Some months before this meeting, the Law Bosses of the Dampier Peninsula, along with Goolarabooloo Jabirr Jabirr leaders, agreed that any decision about James Price Point should be made by consensus. Mr Bergmann knew this. Nonetheless, at the very end of the 14-15 April meeting, which had been dominated by discussion about the possible financial benefits of the Gas Precinct, Mr Bergmann called for a decision by majority vote. He ignored a request for a secret ballot. The matter was decided by a show of hands. I do not know the size of the majority. Along with several others, I had walked out in disgust. I have since asked Mr Bergman for a copy of the minutes of the meeting. My request has been ignored. I suspect no minutes were taken.

I have also asked Mr Bergmann for a copy of the agreement he signed with Woodside and the WA government, According to a note on the cover of the agreement, he signed: “On behalf of Kimberley Land Council representing the Traditional Owners (Goolarabooloo Jabirr Jabirr Native Title claimants).” Despite the fact that I am a registered applicant and the lead claimant, he has refused to do more than allow
me to glance through the document at his office. He will not allow me to take away a copy, so that I may seek advice and discuss it with others, claiming it is “commercial-in-confidence.”

When I heard about the briefing arranged by Senator Pratt, I wrote to Mr Bergmann asking him to include me in the team to attend. Despite a reminder letter, he has not responded. I have not been told who are the people billed as “senior men and women Traditional Owners”.

The Goolarabooloo people are not opposed to exploitation of the Browse Basin gas reserves. We recognise its potential economic benefit to Australia. But there are alternatives to processing the gas at James Price Point. They may even be cheaper. The other Browse Basin leaseholders (Chevron, Shell, BP and BHP Billiton) seem to think so; they are currently investigating these alternatives.

In February last year, the Parliament made an Apology for past wrongs to the Aboriginal people. It was a moving and memorable day. However, some cynics wondered whether it would mean anything in practice. The manner in which the Government handles the issue of James Price Point will go a long way to provide
the answer.


Joseph Roe 14 September 2009

Prime Minister had a whale of a time in Broome

As the gas emissions continue to spew into the air, the oil continues to pour into the Timor Sea from the West Atlas and dead fish are now being washed up along the beaches in Timor. These fish were collected by the local people and eaten which has resulted in food poisoning and itching skin.

Meanwhile, back in Broome, our Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd called in to touch base with Kerry Stokes (A Media Man) who has a residence overlooking Cable Beach in Broome. A civic reception hosted by Broome Shire Council was held at the Shire offices, on Friday the 2nd October, in the cool of the afternoon.

Positioned on the front lawn of the Shire Offices was a large art installation of a whale placed in a symbolic sea of oil was there to greet the Prime Minister. A number of protesters were also there to draw attention to: the current ecological catastrophe from the weeks of oil spilling from the West Atlas into the Timor Sea, the proposed 14 trains LNG precinct at James Price Point and the lack of faith in the Kimberley Land Council.

Several Indigenous and Conservation groups’ representatives were represented within this reception, providing an opportunity to raise several concerns with the Prime Minister directly. Neil McKenzie, a Jabirr Jabirr man representing Save the Kimberley presented the PM with a beautiful framed photo of James Price Point. Mr Joe Roe from Goolarabooloo, the head applicant to the Native Title Claim over James Price Point presented Mr Rudd with an open letter. This letter will be bogged within the next 24 hours on Handsoffcountry.

Whales & Oil Spill off the Kimberley Coast

Here's a link to channel 7's story on the whales on their Sunday Night programme - visually a great story which also brings up the oil slick and the gas hub.

http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunday-night/video/-/watch/15774959/

The environment group WWF says dolphins and other marine animals are swimming around in oil leaking from a rig off the north-west Australian coast.

Oil has been leaking from the West Atlas oil rig in the Timor Sea since at least August 21.

WWF representative Gilly Llewellyn says she is aboard a WWF boat close to the oil slick.

She says there are lots of fish and other animals in the area, which are coming into contact with the oil.

"I'm glad that we're literally not seeing lots of dead animals," she said.

"But at the same time we are seeing animals now in the area affected by the slick.

"These animals are likely to be exposed to continuing levels of toxicity that potentially has long-term effects."

Ms Llewellyn says the boat has been moving in and out of oily patches in the area for two days.

"The stuff we're seeing and the stuff we're bringing back is waxy, it's almost like hard cheese or like the hardened wax you get on a chicken soup when the fat hardens," she said.

"This stuff is going to be around for a long time. So we need to sort of shatter the myth that there's not a problem out here."

The company that owns the rig says it is still trying to stop the flow of the oil and the Federal Government says there is no evidence of environmental damage.

Whales on the Kimberley Coast

Here's a link to channel 7's story on the whales on their Sunday Night programme - visually a great story which also brings up the oil slick and the gas hub.

http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunday-night/video/-/watch/15774959/

The Shire of Broome's Kimberley LNG Precinct

The Shire of Broome held a Community Forum on the proposed Kimberley LNG Precinct at James Price Point. Presentations, which were limited to ten minutes were presented by the WA Department of State Development, KLC, Environs Kimberley, The Wilderness Society, Save the Kimberley, Woodside, Broome Chamber of Commerce, Broome Port Authority, Broome International Airport and others about the impacts and the opportunities and what is actually planned at James Price Point. Approximately 180 - 200 members of the community attended however, many expressed their disappointment about not being able to raise questions or pass comment within the forum.

There are now three videos uploaded, please take the time to download.

Regards Red

Kimberley LNG Open Public Forum No fanfare.

The Kimberley LNG Open Public Forum held today in Broome opened without a Welcome to Country from Traditional Owners and no fanfare from the WA Department of State Development.
The Forum was the first public open forum held by the State Government on the Kimberley LNG Precinct proposed for James Price Point. This forum is part of the Social Impact Assessment currently being undertaken.








Redhand encourages you to read the post this morning about the Tourism Impact Assessment Report which was released yesterday by the Western Australian Department of State Development.

Tourism Impact Assessment Report Released

The Tourism Impact Assessment Report was released yesterday. Red Hand has skimmed the Report in order to compiled a quick summary, raise questions and highlight a few of our concerns.

The purpose of the Tourism Impact Assessment was to report on the potential negative and positive impacts of the proposed construction and ongoing operation of the proposed LNG Precinct in the vicinity of James Price Point on the tourism industry in Broome and the West Kimberley region.

This Report has illustrated that the consultants have no understanding of the social fabric underlays of the Broome community. The report does not acknowledge or have any insight into the people or the community that committed themselves and built a viable tourism industry, over many years, out of hard work and little to no support from the State Government. Now, just when the Broome Brand is branded they wish to dismiss all this effect and expense to impose an industry that will completely destroy all this hard dedicated work and write off people’s personal and business dreams as inconsequential.

This Report does exactly what the project proponent to the project, the State Government wanted it to achieve, it mitigates the negative impacts by placing responsibility back onto the Broome community and the Shire to manage, and capitalises on peoples economic insecurities to promote unproven positive impacts?

Why does this Report push a line that Broome is not part of the real or true Kimberley?

Why didn’t this Impact Assessment consult with or refer to the Jabirr Jabbirr, Goolarabooloo and Yawuru groups about the Assessment, the consultation process and or Report.?

Why was the vital Entertainment Industry, a very valued contributor to the Broome tourism coddled into the Report under the section titled food providers/entertainment?

Why was there no mention or recognition of Broome’s Music, Arts and Film industries in the whole report? No appreciation or understanding of how these industries contributed to the development of and totally underpinned Broome's tourist brand. It was these industries that first drew attention to Broome, it was these industries that projected Broome out onto the national and international stage. And this industry continues to do so to this very day.

Why was the length of time people have lived in Broome, so significant in the Report’s findings? If these factors were so imperative why haven’t the locals, who were born and bred in Broome been consulted, included or considered in this Impact Assessment?

Why does this report use the same language as the Social Impact Assessment and the same cut & pasts approach and many of the previous Reports, NDT, Scope, Social Assessment Vol 1, when it was undertaken by private consultants?

Why hasn’t this report looked at the four different development scenarios?
1 – no development,
2 – Low Case,
3 – Medium and
4 – High case?

Why were the consultants compiling this report under the same direction as the KLC, who are currently undertaking the Cultural/Heritage SIA:- "to mitigate and manage the negative impacts and capitalise on any positive impacts?"

As part of this study, 100 Broome residents were required to be interviewed to quantify the perceptions of the resident population in terms of the impact of a proposed LNG Precinct at James Price Point.

A survey was sent out, and many Broome people responded to it, believing it to be a bona fide residential survey, believing that their opinions were finally being sort and that this Survey was open to all Broome's residents to respond.

Survey Invitations sent = 254
Responses = 612
Verified Responses44 = 119 (46.9%)

However, according to the Report, 612 participant’s surveys were not included in the final analysis.

“It became evident within the first couple of days of the questionnaires being distributed that recipients who felt strongly about this issue would forward it to others who shared the same concerns. As noted above, over 600 responses were received of which only 119 were returned with a unique survey number that had been generated when the invitations were sent. Only those surveys having a system-generated, unique, source code were included in the final analysis. It is interesting to note that of the 493 unverified responses returned, 2 were supportive of the LNG Precinct development while 491 were strongly opposed".

If a Survey has the ability to draw such a strong community inquisitiveness and trepidation then surely this response needs serious analysis and should not be dismissed so readily or with such condescension.

This was one of the questions in the Residents Survey: The anti gas lobby is doing more harm to tourism than the LNG Precinct would ever create . How is this type of questioning acceptable or relevant in a Tourism Impact Assessment?

Is the Broome Shire fully aware of how busy as they are going to be because they are listed as the major driver in managing the mitigating impacts?

Why does the Report try to perpetuate a myth of division and competition between the East and West Kimberley?

“The “no gas” lobby is expressing opinions without having all the facts. Some basic information needs to be published sooner rather than later, otherwise tourists may see the gas plant as a negative” The No Gas lobby have been saying exactly this “there is no facts out there, no information has been made available, workshops have been closed, dubious survey spend around town, Master Plans hidden for the public, and invested interest groups driving the format, process and outcomes of the Report’s findings.

“The Shire needs to be far more proactive in taking a lead role to ensure that Broome leverages the infrastructure it needs to support the town and the tourism industry” On what grounds, on what findings, on who’s say was this statement supported and how was this verified?

This report was submitted to the Government in June why has this report taken so long to be released?

Has the State Government made any changes or spin doctored the original report?

Tourism Assessment Report, P. 18
5: Residents Survey 81 | P a g e
Section 5: Residents Survey P a g e 92
Appendices 193 | P a g e
Appendices 193 | P a g e

Kimberley LNG precinct James Price Point Open Public Forum

SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT COMMENTS WELCOME AT OFFICE ON THURSDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER, from2

If you would like to speak one-on-one to DSD staff about the social impact assessment, members of the public are also welcome to attend an open office event at the Broome office of the Department of State Development, upstairs in Woody’s Arcade on Dampier Terrace. Call the Department on 9222 0555 for more info.

Over 200 redhands floated in the breeze at the Broome Courthouse Markets this morning, invitations to the Western Australian Department of State Development - KIMBERLEY LNG PRECINCT Open Public Forum in its office on Dampier Terrace Chinatown Broome in the afternoon of the 17th September. The Department has provided an opportunity to provide feedback, ask questions and get information about the Kimberley LNG precinct at James Price Point.

Questions on the redhands included:
How much will the airport traffic and noise increase with the fly in and fly out proposal?
How do you measure quality of lifestyle?
Why hasn’t the Social Impact Assessment looked at the precinct development scenarios equally?
Why does the Broome community have to continue to suffer the noise from the airport with only the promise of more to come?
What will this proposed LNG development do for my “sense of place”?
What will be the effect of the blasting on whales?
Will light emissions interfere with our stargazing?
Do you think your Community Consultation has provided clear, accurate and relevant information with the Broome community
If we lost Cable Beach to an oil spill do you think it would affect our tourist industry?
What are you going to do about the helicopter noise?
Will light emissions interfere with our stargazing?
Will my mum and dad be able to camp at Quondong for their annual holidays, like they have been for years?
What will happen to Willie Creek Pearl Farm?
How much groundwater will be extracted and where will it come from?
Where is the Master Plan for the Kimberley LNG Precinct?
Will we get extra police?
Can the Broome hospital cope in an emergency explosion or accident?
Why did you have to get an invitation to attend a “sense of place” workshop?
Who and how will you measure soil contamination?
What is a hydrocarbon processing facility?
How will you measure dust emissions during construction and operation?
Who and how will you measure groundwater contamination?
How do you stop tankers crashing into whales?
What happens if a cyclone comes and blows away the proposed LNG precinct, would you build it again?

Also seen at the markets today, a Save the Kimberley yellow flier about the Shire of Broome's LNG Forum-James Price Point all day Friday and Saturday 18 and 19 September

At last!!!!!!!!!!! work starts to try and stem river of oil

The company responsible for an oil spill in the Timor Sea says final preparations are being made to stop the leak.

For three weeks oil from an uncapped drilling hole has been spilling into the sea off the Kimberley coast at a rate of about 300 to 400 barrels a day.

The spill in the Montara oil field has been sprayed with dispersants but so far there have been no attempts to stop the leak.

PTTEP Australasia says a relief oil rig from Singapore is now in place and preparations are being made to stem the oil flow.

Workers at the scene plan to drill a new hole to intersect the oil leak from two kilometres away and stop the flow by injecting mud.

The process is expected to start in the next two days.

Timor Sea Drilling Spill Covers 2,500 Square Miles

Montara Oil Well Blowout and Spill - Location Map on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
SkyTruth click in this link for photos.

SkyTruth obtained a full-resolution version of the NASA /MODIS satellite image taken on August 30, 2009, nine days after the blowout and spill began from the Montara offshore oil platform in the Timor Sea off Western Australia. We did some additional processing to enhance features in the ocean, and discovered that slicks and sheen extended even further to the northeast than we thought a few days ago. We've uploaded two new MODIS images to our growing online gallery of this event: one is simply the MODIS imagery with no annotation; the other is the same chunk of imagery with SkyTruth's analysis.

NASA/MODIS satellite image, August 30, 2009, with SkyTruth analysis click in this link for photos
Montara Spill - MODIS Detail (with interpretation), August 30, 2009 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

This image shows that oil slicks and sheen from the blowout had already spread across 2,500 square miles of ocean by August 30. And it will take several weeks, possibly months, before this well can be controlled.

Thanks to Jesse Allen at NASA and the MODIS Rapid Response Team for providing the original MODIS image.

"Yes they swim past James Price Point,"

Western Australia's Premier Colin Barnett says he will do all he can to protect whales from being affected by a gas development in the Kimberley.

Green groups say an aerial survey has recorded large numbers of humpback whales near James Price Point.

The area, 60 kilometres north of Broome, has been selected by the WA Government as the best place to locate a processing hub for gas taken from the Browse Basin.

Environmentalists have been campaigning against LNG developments being located on the Kimberley coast.

The Wilderness Society, the Conservation Council, and Environs Kimberley say James Price Point should not be an industrial site.

Campaigner Richard Costin organised the aerial survey.

"Over a two-hour flight, we recorded about 102 pods, which represented 162 individual whales, which is one of the highest concentrations anywhere in the world," he said.

"I think that Colin Barnett and also the Federal Government and (Federal Environment Minister) Peter Garrett need to really carefully consider what's going on here.

"They need to actually do a lot more comprehensive studies in the area, probably over the next couple of years, before they actually jump in and make any decision on putting an industrial complex there at James Price Point."

Mr Costin says the companies involved in the Browse Basin should be seriously considering processing gas offshore.

"The best option for developing the gas is to move on to floating LNG technology," he said.

"At the moment Shell are actually considering that for their Prelude Field and a number of other operators around the world are now looking at floating LNG as the best option."

Mr Barnett says it is not surprising to have a large number of humpback whales in the area.

"The whale population migrating up the Western Australian coast is one of the great whale migrations on the planet," he said.

"There are 22,000 whales doing that trip backwards and forwards each year. The numbers I'm advised, are increasing at about 10 per cent per year."

Mr Barnett says the Government will not allow any development at James Price Point to bring harm to the whales. He says whales can be seen off many other industrial sites.

"Yes they swim past James Price Point," he said.

"They swim past Geraldton. They swim past Kwinana. They swim past Bunbury. They go up and down the coast every year and we will ensure that they are not in any way adversely impacted by the development on shore of an LNG precinct at James Price Point."

North Head was considered as a site for the LNG hub but was knocked back because of a high concentration of whales. Mr Barnett says James Price Point will be the location.

"James Price Point, on environmental grounds, on isolation from communities, on offshore and onshore geological and technical conditions, is clearly the best location," he said.

Whales Dance at James Price Point too

Over the weekend, 162 humpback whales were sighted off the Kimberley coast at James Price Point, the proposed location for the development of the massive LNG industry in Western Australia and is to escalate tensions.

An aerial survey last weekend by the Wilderness Society recorded the huge number of whales, including bulls and cows with their calves, in more than 100 separate pods off James Price Point.

The Point, a pristine wilderness 60 kilometres north of Broome, is a proposed site for a new LNG processing hub for Woodside's Browse Basin gas fields. The West Australian Premier, Colin Barnett, announced the site last December after an earlier location, North Head, was rejected partly because of its importance to the whales which travel between the Antarctic and the Kimberley coast.

Each year between July and November, thousands of humpbacks mate and give birth in the waters off the Kimberley. Until now, there has been a dispute over whether the waters off James Price Point were part of their route.

Richard Costin, who organised the survey for the Wilderness Society, said that based on recent research ''there is no doubt that the area around James Price Point is at least as significant for humpback whales as other sites that have been considered unsuitable for industrial development due to whale activity''.

"The whale population migrating up the WA coast is one of the great whale migrations on the planet ...... 220,000 whales do that trip each year," Mr Barnett said. "They go up and down the coast and we will ensure they are not in any way adversely impacted by the development onshore of an LNG precinct at James Price Point." more by Colin Barnett WA today