No prior problems says Australian oil authority
![A vessel sprays an oil leak from the West Atlas rig, 250 kilometres off the far north Kimberley coast of Western Australia. [ABC]](http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200908/r422552_2009401.jpg "A vessel sprays an oil leak from the West Atlas rig, 250 kilometres off the far north Kimberley coast of Western Australia. [ABC]")
PHOTO
A vessel sprays an oil leak from the West Atlas rig, 250 kilometres off the far north Kimberley coast of Western Australia. [ABC]
Jane Bardon
Last Updated:
Australia's National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority says the company responsible for the massive oil spill off the West Australian coast hasn't reported prior problems.
The West Atlas rig being run by PTTEP Australasia off the Kimberly Coast has been spilling oil since Friday.
The company says it could take it eight weeks to stop the leak.
The National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority says the spill has been caused by a hydrocarbon release from a well on the well-head platform.
The Safety Authority says PTTEP hasn't reported any other problems, such as stability issues, or unplanned evacuations from the rig in the last year.
It says all oil companies are required to report any incidents which would require immediate investigation.
One of Australia's opposition parties, the Greens say the Federal government should reveal a history of any previous incidents on the West Atlas rig.
Two months
Earlier, authorities said they would continue to clean up the oil from the leaking rig for the two months the leak will take to cap.
The leak is 3.5 kilometres underground.
Tracy Jiggins, from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, says a Hercules plane has begun spraying the oil slick with chemical dispersants.
"At last light last night we were visually able to see the slick had substantially reduced in size," she said.
PTTEP has promised to cover the entire cost of the clean-up.
No effect on Gorgon
Meanwhile, Australia's Environment Minister, Peter Garrett says the oil spill won't have implications for the Gorgon gas project.
The minister is set to announce whether he'll sign off on the $AUD50 billion project this week.
Mr Garrett says the oil spill in the Timor Sea won't have any impact on his decision.
"That is a proposal that has been very carefully and closely assessed over a period of time by both the West Australian and the Commonwealth Governments," he said
"I expect to make a decision this week on those matters that relate to specific environment issues under the national environment legislation."
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