More Trouble in Australia’s Waters: West Atlas Oil Rig Now on Fire
Australia’s PTTEP Australasia keeps adding problems to the West Atlas oil rig’s adverse situation: after over two months of oil spill and four failed attempts to plug the leak, a massive fire erupted on the rig today.
Timor Sea map - Encarta
Fortunately, nobody was injured, according to the report on MSNBC, but this adds another twist to the already regretful story that is in the meantime over 10 weeks old and leaves more unanswered questions yet.
According to the Australian Marine Conservation Society PTTEP has now admitted the leak is likely to take several more weeks to stem. This means the oil spill is on course to be Australia’s largest ever.
Read the full story on MSNBC.com.
Copyright © 2009 by Marine Science Today, a publication of OceanLines LLC
I think this is an absolute disgrace. If you offered them $1m to stop it, it would have been stopped day 1. Aust Govt should enforce tougher penalty and make this right, before the whole marine environment, in all of it’s diversity, Whales, Dolphins, Turtles, Shark, endangered marine life, is completely destroyed in such a disgusting manner. If it spilled in Mr Rudds pond, it would have been high priority. Mr Garrett needs to do something yesterday, I’m not impressed by such a lack of inaction. I think this government has failed the wildlife miserably. Shame on you.
Barb
Pfouh… We are “used” to oil spills on our coasts but not like that…