#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Thailand and Asia News >  >  > Business, Finance & Economics in Thailand >  >  PTTEP Australasia : Montara

## Mid

*West Triton tow line snaps*
By Upstream staff 
Sunday, 06 September, 2009

 
_Fresh delay: a broken tow line means the West Triton will not arrive at the Montara site before 10 September_

                                                                                                       The jack-up rig West Triton will not arrive at the Montara blowout site before    10 Septmber, after a tow line connecting the rig to one of two tugs snapped,     Thai outfit PTT Exploration & Production (PTTEP) said. 

                                                          Oil, gas and condensate has been leaking into the Timor Sea since the blowout    on 21 August at the PTTEP-operated Montara wellhead platform, about 250    kilometres off the north-west coast of Western Australia. 

  The Thai operator released a statement today saying the jack-up  broke a tow    line  yesterday afternoon, west of Sumba Island in Indonesia. 

  "PTTEP has been informed the  West Triton, which is being towed by two vessels    from Batam Island near Singapore to the Montara oilfield, broke a tow line    yesterday afternoon," it said. 

  "One tug vessel had a generator failure during an attempt to reconnect the    line overnight. The rig was west of Sumba Island, Indonesia when the    incident occurred. 

  "The vessel can still tow the West Triton but it has reduced bow thruster    capability," the company said. 

  A relief vessel that has been sent from Darwin to assist is expected to reach    the West Triton on Tuesday. 

  "PTTEP expects with favourable conditions and currents the rig will be towed    to the east of Sumba Island into the Timor Sea and it is now expected to    reach the Montara wellhead platform by Thursday morning [10 September]," the    company said. 

  The West Triton is under tow to the Montara site, where it will drill a relief    well, aimed at plugging the leak. 

  It is expected it could take up to six weeks to plug the leak from the    wellhead platform.

upstreamonline.com

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## blackgang

sounds like a full and complete Thai operation.
Why not hire a company with some brains to do these jobs?

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## Mid

*PTT’s Timor Oil Leak Fix May Take More Than 4 Weeks* 
Jason Scott
 Sept. 12 

(Bloomberg) -- PTT Exploration & Production Pcl, Thailand’s only publicly traded oil exploration company, said it may need longer than four more weeks to plug a leaking well in the Timor Sea.     

        Intersecting the well head will take more than three weeks from tomorrow, with another week needed to then cap the leak with mud, PTTEP Australasia Director Jose Martins told reporters today in Perth. 

He cited aerial studies as showing a reduction in the extent of the spill.     

        Oil, gas and condensate started seeping into the Timor Sea from a rig at PTT’s Montara project on Aug. 21. 

Two days later the company said it might need 50 days to plug the leak from the well alongside the West Atlas rig, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) off Australia’s coast, implying completion by Oct. 12.     

        Australia plans to investigate the oil spill off the country’s northwest Kimberley wilderness region to prevent a repeat of the incident, Energy Minister Martin Ferguson said Sept. 7. 

The Montara incident is the first well blowout in offshore Australia since 1984, he said, adding about 1,500 wells have been drilled safely in the last 25 years.     

        The Kimberley coast is described by Tourism Australia as “one of the world’s last true wilderness areas.” 

The Australian Greens have said the area is a “marine superhighway,” with populations of baby turtles this time of year and a migratory route for whales.     

        The oil spill from Montara is 170 kilometers from the shore, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said Sept. 4. 

The authority has been spraying dispersant to help break up the slick.     

        The cost of the spill to PTT is “substantial,” Martins said today, declining to give a monetary figure. 

He also declined to comment on the cause of the spill. 

The company previously said about 400 barrels of oil were leaking into the sea, declining to give a total today.

bloomberg.com

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## Airportwo

IF they had plugged the well correctly in the first place they wouldn't have this situation now! Going to cost them BIG time as this will (rightfully) be considered negligence........

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## Mid

*Timor Sea Oil Spill May Worsen, Australian Conservationists Say * 
   Ben Sharples

Sept. 18 (Bloomberg) -- An oil spill from a leaking well off Western Australia that has polluted the Timor Sea with 1,200 metric tons of oil may worsen and is a major ecological disaster in the making, a conservation group says.     

        This is a disaster that risks blowing out further in terms of its scale and impact on the ocean, Darren Kindleysides, director of the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said in an e-mailed statement today. The spill has covered 15,000 square kilometers (5,800 square miles), with 400 barrels a day leaking from the Montara field, the group said.     

        Oil, gas and condensate started seeping into the Timor Sea Aug. 21 from a leak 3,500 meters below the ocean floor during drilling by the local unit of Bangkok-based PTT Exploration & Production Pcl. The Thai company said today halting the flow by drilling a relief well to plug the leak with mud is expected to take a further three-and-a-half weeks to complete.     

Australian Maritime Safety Authority observations indicate the size of the spill is reducing, Lauren Tindale, Perth-based spokeswoman for PTTEP Australasia, said by phone. The authority is coordinating the clean up effort and PTTEP has said it will cover the cost.     

        The governments response to the spill is insufficient, Australian Greens party Senator Rachel Siewert said in a separate statement today. The spread of oil may affect commercially important fish stocks, the marine ecosystem and coral colonies around Ashmore Reef, about 840 kilometers west of Darwin and 610 kilometers north of Broome, Siewert said.     

        The relief well is expected to reach a depth of 1,622 meters on Sept. 20, PTTEP said in its statement.

bloomberg.com

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## Mid

*Thai PTTEP to miss 2009 sales target on Montara deley*
Thu Oct 1, 2009
 Wilawan Pongpitak

* Montara field start-up delayed to late Q1/2010
        * To review investment projects, may sell some assets  (Adds details)

*BANGKOK,* Oct 1 (Reuters) - Thailand's PTT Exploration and Production (PTTE.BK) (PTTEP) said on Thursday the start-up of its Montara field in Australia would be delayed to the first quarter of 2010 from late 2009 due to an oil spill problem. [ID:nB17593]

        The delay will cause the company to miss its 2009 petroleum sales target, Chief Executive Anon Sirisaengtaksin told reporters.

        "It's possible that output from the field will come on stream in late first quarter of next year. Our sales volume should fall slightly below target because of the delay," he said.

        PTTEP plans to produce about 35,000 barrels of oil per day from the Montara field, which should boost its 2009 petroleum sales to 240,000 barrels per day, the company has said.

        The Montara field could be one of the main sources of profit for PTTEP in the second half as many analysts expect higher output from new oil and gas fields to boost sales.

        PTTEP owns 100 percent of the Montara field through its wholly owned Australasia, formerly known as Coogee Resources, which the Thai firm acquired this year.

        It is the flagship in the exploration and production business of top Thai energy firm PTT PTT.BK and is involved in about 40 oil and gas exploration and development projects in 14 countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

        To minimise risk, PTTEP plans to review the potential of the 40 projects, which could lead to sales of poorly performing assets, Anon said.

        On Thursday, PTTEP stock closed up 0.7 percent at 145.50 baht, while the overall market was 1.4 percent higher.

(Reporting by Wilawan Pongpitak; Writing by Khettiya Jittapong; Editing by Jason Szep)

reuters.com

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## blackgang

> It is the flagship in the exploration and production business of top Thai energy firm PTT


Yes, and they are just doing a fuck of a good job too.

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## Mid

*Oil spill killing wildlife off-shore Australia - WWF                                                       * 
                                                      10/23/2009

*GLAND,* Switzerland, Oct 23 (KUNA) -- Conservationists at the World Wilflife  Fund (WWF) on Friday warned that one of Australia's worst off-shore oil spills  is killing wildlife and "massively contaminating" one of the world's last  great wildnernesses.

   Amid a fourth attempt to plug the 64-day-old leak at the Montara drilling  rig, the spill, which has already spread over an area 10 times the size of  London, continued to expand at the rate of 300 barrels of oil a day in an area  of the Timor Sea famed for its marine reserves and coral, the fund said in a  statement.

   Dolphins, migratory sea birds, sea snakes and marine turtles were exposed  to toxins. The spill has killed hundreds, possibly thousands, of animals, it  added.

   Since August 21, when there was an accident at the Montara offshore  drilling rig's well head, around 403,000 litres of oil have been pumped into  the Timor Sea. The rig is owned by the Thai oil company PTTEP.

   Satellite images show a 25,000-square-kilometre spill spreading across the  surface of the ocean and spilling into Indonesian waters, threatening the  marine reserves of Ashmore and Cartier reefs along the way. 
(end) 

kuna.net.kw

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## Rigger

Talking about drilling my little rig just broke the world drilling record for a major world wide American operator  :Smile:

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## Mid

*Fourth attempt to plug Montara leak fails* 
Monday, 26 October, 2009

                                                                                                        Thailands PTTEP is facing more woe as it tries to stop the oil leak at its    Montara project off Australia after being forced to abandon its fourth    attempt to plug the hole. 

 
_Oil slick: at the Montara project_

                                                          The latest attempt was thwarted after the drilling assembly failed while being    run in the relief well hole.  

  PTTEP said yesterday that it was retrieving the assembly and would then    continue preparations to make a new pass to intercept the well casing early    this week. 

  Over two months since the accident, the blown out well bore is still leaking,    threatening a wide range of marine life according to the WWF. 

  Estimates for the amount of oil, gas and condensate leaking from the well have    been put at almost 500,000 litres - 3145 barrels - to date.  

  PTTEP says just 300 to 400 barrels of oil per day is leaking from the damaged    well bore, but the Department of Resources, Energy & Tourism yesterday told    a Senate committee it believed up to 2000 bpd is being pumped into the sea.  

  Australia's federal Resources Ministry has said it believes PTTEP's estimates,    adding that the higher estimate is based on flows if the well was in full    production.

upstreamonline.com

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## Mid

*Aussie oil rig on fire* 
 Nov 1, 2009


_'PTTEP Australasia reports the West Atlas rig and Montara well head platform are on fire,' the firm said in a statement._ 
-- PHOTO: REUTERS
*
SYDNEY* - AN OIL rig which has been leaking thousands of barrels of oil into the Timor Sea off Australia's north-west coast for more than two months was on fire Sunday, the company said.

    A spokesman for the company said specialists had finally succeeded in the first stage of plugging the well, which has been spilling up to 400 barrels of oil each day into the ocean since Aug 21.

'They had not actually stopped or killed the leak... and then unfortunately the fire broke out,' she told AFP.

    PTTEP said all personnel working at the isolated site some 250km offshore had been reported safe and non-essential staff were being evacuated. The company gave no indication of the severity of the blaze.

    The rig's operators have been struggling for weeks to stop the leak, which environmentalists fear poses long-term risks to the area's wildlife. -- AFP

straitstimes.com

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## Chairman Mao

I'm not an expert... but it appears that it's been on fire since Mon 26th.




> *Fourth attempt to plug Montara leak fails* 
> *Monday, 26 October, 2009*
> 
>                                                                                                         Thailands PTTEP is facing more woe as it tries to stop the oil leak at its    Montara project off Australia after being forced to abandon its fourth    attempt to plug the hole. 
> 
>  
> _Oil slick: at the Montara project_

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## baldrick

a jackup was put over the platform and was drilling without a BOP and they cracked the casing.

so both the platform and the jack up will be a write off

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## Rigger

> a jackup was put over the platform and was drilling without a BOP and they cracked the casing


How does that work ? 
Ok we do it on land rigs before surface csg but once the well is live they arent coming off untill csg is cemented and normaly reteivable plug set. 
How could they let them drill with out a Bop

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## jarne

from long lost memory I think its done in special circumstances and you use a heavy mixed drilling fluid to keep the balance

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## jarne

killmud  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
motherfuckers

yeah

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## Rigger

> from long lost memory I think its done in special circumstances and you use a heavy mixed drilling fluid to keep the balance


Mud is never counted as a barrier when removing a Bop ?.
Casing, cement, plugs, Bop, yes and you must have two of these before lifting the Bop

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## Bung

So in a country that does everything half arsed does this extend right up to the top national petrochemical company or was this just an unfortunate accident?

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## Mid

*PTTEP Says Rig May Collapse With Fire Out of Control* 
(Update1)
Jason Scott



                                                  Nov. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Thailand’s PTT Exploration & Production Pcl shares fell the most in more than five months after the company said a blazing oil rig off northwest Australia may collapse into the Timor Sea.     

        “The fire is out of control,” Jose Martins, a director of PTTEP’s Australian unit, told reporters in Perth today. 

The rig sits above a well that has been leaking oil and gas in what has become the nation’s third-worst spill.     

        Thailand’s only publicly traded oil-exploration company has tried and failed for the past 10 weeks to plug a leak at the well, 2,600 meters (1.6 miles) below the seabed off the northwestern Australian coast. 

Yesterday’s fourth attempt to stem the flow may have triggered the fire, Martins said.     

        PTTEP’s shares dropped 6.2 percent to 136 baht at the trading lunch break in Bangkok, on course for its lowest close since Aug. 17 and it’s biggest decline since May 14. 

The stock was the worst performer in the SET50 Index, a measure of 50 largest publicly traded companies, which fell 2.5 percent at the lunch break.     

        “Investor confidence has been badly hurt,” Avin Sony, a Bangkok-based analyst at Royal Bank of Scotland Group Pcl, wrote in a report today.     

        PTTEP has engaged “world-leading companies” to help stem the leak at the Montara well and the fire at the West Atlas drilling rig, Australia’s Minister for Resources and Energy Martin Ferguson said. 

A “full investigation” will be launched into the incident once the well has been plugged and the blaze put out, he told reporters in Melbourne.     

*Minister Should Quit    * 

        Australian Greens leader, Senator Bob Brown, said Ferguson should resign over his handling of the incident. 

“He has completely bungled one of the biggest environmental catastrophes the Commonwealth government has had to deal with,” Brown said in a radio interview today. 

“He should go.”     

        Bangkok-based PTTEP has estimated the Montara well has leaked 300 to 400 barrels of oil a day, making it the third- biggest spill in Australia’s history, according to figures from the Maritime Safety Authority.     

        The company has set aside A$177 million ($159 million) as provisions against costs for the leak, which won’t be completely covered by insurance, PTTEP’s Martins said in Perth Oct. 29. 

Efforts to cap the leak have been complicated by the challenge of intercepting the steel-encased well deep below the seabed.     

        The Montara well is in waters 80 meters deep and some 690 kilometers (430 miles) from Darwin in the Northern Territory.     

        The world’s largest population of humpback whales, estimated at about 22,000, is found along the northwestern coast, according to a May-September survey conducted by whale researchers Richard Costin and Annabelle Sandes. 

Tourism Australia has described the region as “one of the world’s last true wilderness areas.”

bloomberg.com

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## Airportwo

> So in a country that does everything half arsed does this extend right up to the top national petrochemical company or was this just an unfortunate accident?


Incompetence, there was never a problem with the well the rig was working on, the well that "blew out" was on the same template and had been inadequately P & A, it failed while they were working on adjacent well, think there were 4 wells on the template.

Seadrill confirms that the West Atlas mobile offshore drilling unit and PTTEPA's Montara well head platform are on fire. All personnel on the nearby West Triton, Seadrill's other mobile offshore drilling unit working in the area, are safe. The West Triton is located 2 kilometres from the West Atlas and is not affected by the fire at this time. The West Triton was performing well kill operations on the leaking H1 well when the fire broke out. Seadrill's emergency response team is working closely with PTTEPA. More information will be released as the situation develops. The West Atlas and West Triton are owned by a Seadrill subsidiary and are contracted to PTTEPA for operations on the Montara field.

Seadrill Limited
Hamilton, Bermuda
November 1st, 2009

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## Bobcock

> sounds like a full and complete Thai operation. Why not hire a company with some brains to do these jobs?


up pops the uninformed......

PTTEP maybe the operator catching all the flack, but like all operators they are not the drillers and it is the drillers who caused this problem.

For you information the company who are unnamed but the responsible party and own both jack ups involved, the West Triton and the West Atlas, are SeaDrill Ltd a very experienced drilling firm based in the Bahamas and listed on the Finnish Stock Market.

I would guarantee there were far more Americans, Brits and Australians on that rig than Thais.

Who do you suggest they should have employed?

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## jarne

no no n

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## Rigger

> PTTEP maybe the operator catching all the flack, but like all operators they are not the drillers and it is the drillers who caused this problem.


Where I come from the operator owns the well and the (Driller) Contractor owns the rig and only does what the operator tells him to do with the well, PTTEP are responsible

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## Airportwo

> Originally Posted by blackgang
> 
> sounds like a full and complete Thai operation. Why not hire a company with some brains to do these jobs?
> 
> 
> up pops the uninformed......
> 
> PTTEP maybe the operator catching all the flack, but like all operators they are not the drillers and it is the drillers who caused this problem.
> 
> ...


The operator designs the well and tells the Drilling contractor what to do, it is PTTEP responsibility

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## Bobcock

Of course they are ultimately responsible, it wasn't what I was getting at, however blackgangs typical pig ignorant rant implying that the little brown man should stand aside and hire whitey to do the work is far from the mark.

Large amounts of the top people at PTTEP are expats and certainly that branch of them.

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## DrAndy

> Originally Posted by Mid
> 
> It is the flagship in the exploration and production business of top Thai energy firm PTT
> 
> 
> Yes, and they are just doing a fuck of a good job too.


 
I have worked for PTT; whilst they are the operator for this field, in actual fact it is a major US oil company who is running the show, the ones who have the technical ability!!!

so put that in your pipe and smoke it

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## DrAndy

> Originally Posted by Bobcock
> 
> PTTEP maybe the operator catching all the flack, but like all operators they are not the drillers and it is the drillers who caused this problem.
> 
> 
> Where I come from the operator owns the well and the (Driller) Contractor owns the rig and only does what the operator tells him to do with the well, PTTEP are responsible


 
ultimately, yes, but the drilling company are the ones who fucked up

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## Bobcock

Of course no US or UK operator has never had a spill......EVER....

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## Rigger

> ultimately, yes, but the drilling company are the ones who fucked up


Where does it say that ?. The drilling company have no say in well design or grade of casing or the way a well is abandoned.

Please tell me where the contractor foked up as I must of missed that part

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## baldrick

> I would guarantee there were far more Americans, Brits and Australians on that rig than Thais.


Indian pusher maybe

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## Airportwo

> Originally Posted by DrAndy
> 
> ultimately, yes, but the drilling company are the ones who fucked up
> 
> 
> Where does it say that ?. The drilling company have no say in well design or grade of casing or the way a well is abandoned.
> 
> Please tell me where the contractor foked up as I must of missed that part



Yes please enlighten us Dr Andy? They never even worked on the well that is burning!

I received about ten pictures of the platform burning, its a good blaze the rig wont last long for sure!

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## Airportwo

Attempt to post a picture

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## Rigger

> I would guarantee there were far more Americans, Brits and Australians on that rig than Thais


Do you know how many white guys on my rig, two at this moment me and one canadian and come midnight there will be one, just me.
Cheap labour has hit the oil patch hard with sub standard drillers, directional driller, tradesman. Anyone that beleive third world countrys can run their own drilling and production has probably never stepped foot on a rig in their life

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## galaxytrash

> Do you know how many white guys on my rig, two at this moment me and one canadian and come midnight there will be one, just me.
> Cheap labour has hit the oil patch hard with sub standard drillers, directional driller, tradesman. Anyone that beleive third world countrys can run their own drilling and production has probably never stepped foot on a rig in their life.


it's all about the $$, ain't it. and don't be surprised that if you and the canuck keep punching holes in the ground without any disasters, they'll decide "hey, we can drop one of these expats and hire another egyptian to replace him, we'll save another 7,000$ a month. oh boy, won't our shareholders love us?"

yeah, until the fucking rig burns down...

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## jarne

re bobcock

maybe a bit frank, but like rest off the educated world

but we can all agree its for the best that
little brown men
or bigger blacker men
or muslimg "something"
all stand aside
and let mr whitey do the brain work

it benefits the entire world, the galaxy even the whole universe
i dear say

the operator is leagally responsible in most cases
as head of the operation
represented by drilling supervisor

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## Rigger

> I have worked for PTT


What did you do for PTT

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## Rigger

> Attempt to post a picture


I just got the photos sent to me of the rig burning taken from a boat close to the rig and will post them up after

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## Nawty

I bet this is one of the rigs that Knobsy did the plumbing for.

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## Rigger

> I bet this is one of the rigs that Knobsy did the plumbing for


who is Knobsy then

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## Nawty

You do not know Knobsy ??

BobsKnob ? aka BobCock ?

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## Bobcock

Yawn....

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## Nawty

see...the plumber fucks up and a good and decent company that is probably feeling very guilty about killing and polluting vasts amounts of pristine Australian marine life on the best country in the world next to the naked sauna country....loses millions.

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## Rigger

> Originally Posted by DrAndy
> 
> I have worked for PTT
> 
> 
> What did you do for PTT


I bet he was one of the following MWD/ Mud engineer/ geologist  these guys are normally a bit strange

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## Begbie

Galley boy like Boon Mee.

Saw the rig picture at  safety meeting this morning. Apparently the derrick has gone over already.

As others have said, the operator calls the shots, pays the bills and carries the can.

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## David19

This is an interesting thread!

I am (was) the barge captain of the West Atlas and I was dieing to know what happened.

By now, my cabin will be on fire.

The story is a little more complicated than what has been written here; it will all 'come out in the wash'.
There were no Thai nationals involved and Seadrill was following correct procedures.

Now I have a new rig and will be going to Sudan shortly so not too chuffed about that!

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## Rigger

> Now I have a new rig and will be going to Sudan shortly so not too chuffed about that


Bit of bad luck there mate. 
yes it will be interesting to find out what really happen out there

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## Whiteshiva

I have decided to pray for the fire to end and the well to be plugged......

Will my prayers be answered soon? :mid:

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## Mid

> There were no Thai nationals involved


hands on , no

Thai nationals involved absolutely

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## DrAndy

> Originally Posted by Rigger
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by DrAndy
> ...


 
OK it might not be them, my extrapolation of facts!! sorry if I am wrong

but if not them, who?

You cannot blame PTT as they are operators in name only. The US oil company who runs things has its own office block in the PTT compound in N Bangkok, they make all the decisions

so it is either the US managers or the drillers who made mistakes, and continue to do so. If they have hired unskilled workers for skilled jobs, as suggested, that would be interesting, but I have never seen that

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## DrAndy

> Originally Posted by Rigger
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by DrAndy
> ...


 
thank you Rigger

I may seem strange to you, maybe you don't normally mix with people like myself

my work at PTT was for exploration, not production

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## Whiteshiva

> You cannot blame PTT as they are operators in name only. The US oil company who runs things has its own office block in the PTT compound in N Bangkok


Are you sure about that.....?

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## Rigger

> my work at PTT was for exploration


which one of a 100 jobs was that then

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## Airportwo

> Originally Posted by Airportwo
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Originally Posted by Rigger
> ...


Questionable????

In February 2009, Coogee Resources Limited was acquired by a subsidiary of PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP) and renamed PTTEP Australasia Limited (PTTEP AA). PTTEP is Thailands national petroleum exploration and production company and is one of the nations largest publicly-listed companies, with more than 40 projects around the world. PTTEP AA will continue the development of the Montara (and the other projects) in the Timor Sea.

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## Begbie

> You cannot blame PTT as they are operators in name only. The US oil company who runs things has its own office block in the PTT compound in N Bangkok, they make all the decisions


News to me Andy. Maybe you're confusing PTT with Chevron.

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## Rigger

> maybe you don't normally mix with people like myself


if you are gay or a wanker then yes maybe you are right  :Smile:

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## Mid

* Firefighters use mud to battle burning oil rig                                 * 
Tue, 03 Nov 2009 

*Sydney -* Firefighters battled to put out a fire at an oil-and-gas rig in the Timor Sea north of Australia Tuesday by pumping thick mud into the well to plug the leak. 

The fire broke out Sunday with flames and smoke rising hundreds of metres into the air as oil workers tried to stop a leak from the rig which occurred 10 weeks ago. 

The leak released 400 barrels of oil a day into the ocean leaving a massive oil slick spreading across the previously pristine waters of the Timor Sea, threatening marine life. 

The Thailand-owned operators of the West Atlas rig, PTTEP Australasia, is mixing 4,000 barrels of heavy mud to pour down a relief well dug nearby. 

PTTEP spokesman Jose Martins told reporters in Perth it was not known how the fire broke out, but the mud should cut off the supply of oil and gas and strangle the fire. 

The Australian government has ordered a full inquiry into the disaster which is to get underway once the fire is out the leak plugged. 

However, World Wildlife Fund spokesman Paul Gamblin was concerned the inquiry may not make public all the reasons behind the disaster, in an effort to protect the lucrative oil and gas industry.

earthtimes.org

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## Mid

Thai media is reporting the fire was extinguished 1pm Bkk

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## Airportwo

^ Same here:-    UPDATE 2-Leaking Timor Sea oil rig plugged, fire killed - Forbes.com

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## David19

Yeah, the fire is out.


PTT took over this field recently. I would imagine the plans were in place long before they arrived. The drilling engineers all sounded none Thai to me and I've been around Thai people a while.
I know a lot of guys and girls at PTT in Thailand (not at the gas station) and they are all very professional and they would be capable in any part of the world. We sometimes knock the Thai way but has anybody worked in Vietnam for example.

Apparantly, I will be off to Iran after the Sudan so this disaster is really screwing my life. Nobody will even get my corporal Jones jokes either!

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## Whiteshiva

My prayers were answered - in just over two hours.  Fancy that! :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## Nawty

It was all the buddah amulets they tied around the shaft that finally did it.

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## Muadib

> Originally Posted by Bobcock
> 
> I would guarantee there were far more Americans, Brits and Australians on that rig than Thais
> 
> 
> Do you know how many white guys on my rig, two at this moment me and one canadian and come midnight there will be one, just me.
> Cheap labour has hit the oil patch hard with sub standard drillers, directional driller, tradesman. Anyone that beleive third world countrys can run their own drilling and production has probably never stepped foot on a rig in their life


The company I am with is required by government regulations to use local labor for the majority of rig personnel on projects within territorial waters of many countries... We may have 4 - 6 company men on board running the job, but the locals do all the heavy lifting... 

As far as SOP on authority, the contractor does what the operator tells them to do, period... The operator is responsible for geology, targets, well design, casing & cementing programs, liner options, logging and on and on... The operator runs the job by telling the contractor what to do... If a problem arises, you bet your sweet ass the contractor's on board supervisor will defer to the operator for a decision... 

Having said that, I haven't found any info on well ops when the blowout occurred... 

RIGZONE - PTTEP Attempting to Bring Montara Leak Under Control

RIGZONE - Map and Image Library

Montara (West Atlas) Blowout and Oil Spill, Western Australia, August 2009 - a set on Flickr

VOA News - Australian Oil Spill Stemmed After 10 Weeks

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## Rigger

> The company I am with is required by government regulations to use local labor for the majority of rig personnel on projects within territorial waters of many countries... We may have 4 - 6 company men on board running the job, but the locals do all the heavy lifting...


Yes we are the same, by law we must employ so many locals. I think we run at around 96% at the moment

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## Airportwo

^ It all boils down to workpermits the 'local" labout board will only issue for certain positions, they are not going to issue work permits for Pommy roughnecks in Thailand as they know these positions can be filled on the local market, the cut of point comes at various levels, dependent on the country you are in.

Jack ups are haing a rough time as off late, They didnt have a lot of leg left anyway!  :-

Vantage Drilling Rig, Sapphire Driller experiences a bow leg run / punch through in the early morning hours (0300) on 30/Oct/2009 – 
West Africa .

----------


## Airportwo

As this thread is mainly off interest to "Rig Hands" please give a thought to 91 off our colleagues who died 20 years ago this week in the Gulf of Thailand, gone but not forgotten, some good hands went down with her...........

*Seacrest Drillship Disaster*On November 3rd, 1989, the drillship Seacrest was caught in the middle of Typhoon Gay and capsized. The official number of crew lost was 91, but there were many conflicting reports about the number of fatalities and the number of survivors. The Seacrest was 110 metres long and owned by UNOCAL. The tragedy happened in the Platong gas field, in the Gulf of Thailand.
Read more: Oil Rig Accidents: The Worst Offshore Oil Exploration Disasters | Suite101.com

----------


## Mid

https://teakdoor.com/the-teakdoor-lou...ml#post1222694 (Wink Martindale and his revised "Deck Of Cards")

pic there

----------


## Rigger



----------


## klongmaster

Wow...great pics Rigger...many thanks...

----------


## Airportwo

After the fire:-

----------


## Whiteshiva

> After the fire:-


Only red X's I am afraid - could you please repost?

----------


## Bobcock

The aftermath













For those who don't know the PTTEP Wellhead is on the left side (foreground) of the last pic with the West Atlas Jack Up owned by SeaDrill on the right of the pic on the 3 big legs. Note the Drilling Rigs derrick has gone, it now swims with the fishes. I presume the drilling rig in the background is the West Triton which is the one that broke it's tow line that inspired the original thread, also owned by SeaDrill.

----------


## Mr R Sole

Superb a huge environmental disaster...are PTTEP gonna cough up for the damage....

Will the barrier reef be affected??? If So could Australia sue PTTEP??? for billions...
 

It's in enough trouble as it is! somebody call Biorock before it's too late.

----------


## Nawty

Thais should be banned from doing business anywhere in the world except for somalia or nigeria.

At least the helipad survived.

Bet all Knobsy's pvc pipe has melted.

----------


## Bobcock

Yes, I bet.

Of course the fact that the helipad isn't on the platform and I have nothing to do with piping on PTTEP platforms doesn't stop you and your halfwitted quips does it?

----------


## Nawty

Whatdya mean not on the platform...what that thing sticking out on the right then ??

Halfwit is better than nowit....hey Knobsy ??

----------


## Bobcock

that's not a platform dickface, that's a jack up rig.

The platform is on the left and I'd told 'those that don't know' that already.

You are obviously in a group of lower intelligence.

----------


## Nawty

The whole thing looks like a platform ya knob...still didnt burn...all the other shit around it did but.

----------


## Bobcock

To who? Not to me it doesn't, a platform is a permanent structure, along side it is a temporary Jack Up (Drilling Rig). The drilling rig doesn't look anything like a wellhead platform. But then again, it is you we are talking to.

Go stand on it, I bet it's still hot and warped.

----------


## thehighlander959

*Onsite Work Plans*
Onsite work plans (procedures) will be developed for each major task or portion of the project. Work plans will include special safety precautions and/or contingencies to be in place before initiating the task or portion of the project. Major portions of the project are anticipated to include:
Initial site inspection and setup of H2S & CH4 detection & respiratory protective equipmentClamshell cutting operations for 30 riserRU & Installation of diverter lines, spools, valves, etc. Wire-line operationsWell-testing operationsOngoing evaluation of gas detection & respiratory protective equipment as and where required for various phases of the project Note: A Risk Assessment Matrix has been conducted on all of the above listed operations / work plans. This Risk Assessment Matrix was a joint collaboration between TOTAL, MOO, and WWCI, and is contained in a separate document.

This would have helped in capping the well especially diverter lines and associated spools and equipment. 
Dont ask about the rest of this document as it is the responsibility of a major oil company this was in 2008 platform is back on line and producing however a lot of money was lost and a lot of the client staff moved. the drillers are Saipem, the client Saipem and the insurance are responsible for the loss of production. It was quick thinking that prevented a full blow-out.

----------


## Nawty

Knobsy actually sounds like he knows what he is talking about.

But bet he just yelled over his cubicle and asked the guy next door...'whats this bit ere then'

----------


## klongmaster

> For those who don't know the PTTEP Wellhead is on the left side (foreground) of the last pic with the West Atlas Jack Up owned by SeaDrill on the right of the pic on the 3 big legs.


Thanks for the explanation BC...I thought it was all one piece so am definitely in the 'those who don't know class'...
however, unlike Nawty, I can read and learn...

----------


## Bobcock

Basically in every day terms the Wellhead Platform is two parts, the jacket and the topsides.

The jacket is the legs that sits on the seabed with 4 (in this case) 'legs' sticking out of the water. It is lowered into the water and then the floation devices or whatever is used are operated to upright it gently.





It is left with 4 'legs' sticking out of the water.

They then pile down through those legs deep into the sea bed to stabilise it.



Then they put the topsides on top.



The finished Wellhead Platform installed. This was the sort of thing PTTEP had out there, probably a little bigger than this one.

----------


## Bobcock

The Drilling Rig is the thing that actually drills down into the sea bed to get the product. Once it has been drilled it goes away, leaving the WHP to suck up the oil or gas and send it off to a processing platform by pipeline on the sea bed.

The Drilling Rigs seen in the pics of the fire are jack ups.

They float along with the big legs high up in the air. When in position thoise legs drop down through to the sea bed and then lift the floating rig out of the water. see how the legs go through the vessel rather thanfrom the underside of it.

It then extends out over the Wellhead Platform and drills down through it.

That's where Nawty's helicopter pad is, on the Jack Up drilling rig, not the platform. I have no pics of them as I don't have anything to do with them. Hence the helicopter pad is not anywhere Nawty's fictional blue plastic pipes that he seems to think I am involved in.

Silly Silly Nawty.

----------


## Nawty

What colour are they then....pvc also comes in yellow and grey, but believe they are for electrical. not plumbing.

----------


## Bobcock

Simple things please simple minds

----------


## Airportwo

Update, this case will drag on for years.............

Relevant points –

     ·         The platform & existing wells were recently purchased by
     PTTEP from another operator
     ·         Two wells were worked on (may be the only two wells on the
     structure)?
     ·         The first well was pulled and the workover completed w/o
     any problems.
     ·       Moved to the second well and for reasons that are still
     unclear, the well kicked before the BOP’s were completely installed &
     tested. Some indication that the TRSV may have not been installed
     (but was to believed to have been). In short, this was a well control
     event resulting from breaking into the well’s pressure envelope.
     ·         The well was leaking 400 – 500 BOPD for 10+ weeks. A second
     jack-up had been brought in, a relief well drilled and had
     intersected the leaking well.
     ·         Before the leaking well could be killed from the relief
     well, there was a spark from what is still an unknown source that
     started the fire.
     ·         The resulting fire was extremely hot, which resulted in the
     rig’s derrick collapsing with 40 minutes of the fire starting.
     ·         By the time the well was killed and the fire out, the
     drilling package, jacking system, and main structural members in the
     barge have been damaged beyond repair.
     ·         The rig is most likely a complete write off.
     ·         To the best of my knowledge, no one was hurt, but the
     environmental and political fallout will be an issue for months/years
     to come.
     ·         Reportedly, while the rig is a write off, there is a belief
     that the existing production platform and wells are still useable and
     will be recovered.
     ·         More than likely PTTEP’s senior management in Australia
     will be facing prosecution.

UPDATE 5pm: A specialist team from Perth is travelling to the site of a
fire on the West Atlas oil rig, which has been spewing oil into the Timor
Sea for the past 10 weeks.
Thai-based rig operator PTTEP Australasia said earlier today the West Atlas
oil rig and Montara well head about 250km off the Kimberley coast had
caught fire during the company’s latest attempt to plug the leaking well.
The company said the leaking well was intercepted today at 9.30am and
workers had begun pumping heavy mud into the well in a bid to plug it when
the fire broke out about 12.10pm.
“The fire is burning around the cantilever portion of the West Atlas rig
which is located directly above the Montara wellhead platform,” PTTEP said
in a statement.
PTTEP said a firefighting vessel, the Nor Captain, had earlier today poured
water onto the fire but had since moved away from the rig.
“Seawater is also being pumped down the relief well from the West Triton
rig in an effort to ‘wet’ the gas and help bring the fire under control,”
the company said.
All personnel on the West Triton rig, which was towed from Singapore to
help plug the leak, and on nearby work vessels were safe and all
non-essential personnel had been evacuated.
PTTEP Australasia has been trying in vain to plug the leaking well since it
began spewing about 400 barrels of oil a day into the Timor Sea on August
21.
Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson said the National Offshore
Petroleum Safety Authority had been called out to help respond to the fire.
Geoscience Australia and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority had been
placed on standby to provide technical advice.
“Some of the world's leading experts are working to fix the leaking well
and respond to this latest problem,” Mr Ferguson said in a statement.
“I am seeking regular advice on this matter from PTTEP, my department,
Geoscience Australia and NOPSA, as well as some of the best minds and most
experienced hands in the industry.”
Federal opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt has called for an
emergency taskforce of ministers and agencies to deal with the problem as a
priority.
Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said the community needed to know what caused
the fire and what it meant for the well-killing operation
Environmental groups have been outraged by the oil leak and supporters of
The Wilderness Society and the Greens staged a protest outside the
Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association in Perth on
Friday.
The spill has cost the Thai company about $177 million and its clean-up
bill has so far exceeded $5 million.
The Federal Government released a report on Friday revealing hundreds of
birds and marine species were at immediate risk from the spill.
While the total effects of the spill were yet to be determined, the report
found scientists had found dead and dying birds and sea snakes in the area.
They also counted 462 whales and dolphins, 2801 birds, 62 sea snakes and 25
turtles in the affected areas over five days of observation.

----------


## Nawty

Fucking whale killers......Thais have become whale killers....and dolphins.

Did you know dolphins are the only other animals that have sex for pleasure.....

----------


## Mid

*PTTEP finally caps Montara well* 
Wednesday, 13 January, 2010

 
_Ready for action: ALERT Well Control team members head for the Montara platform to complete plugging and capping operations at the H1 wellhead_ 

*Thailand’s PTT Exploration & Production (PTTEP) has finally plugged    and secured the H1 well at the Montara well head platform in the Timor Sea,    which spilled hydrocarbons into the ocean between August and November last    year following a blowout.        * 

                                 Montara was originally due to come on stream at the end of last year at a rate    of 35,000 barrels per day, but the blowout and spill have forced PTTEP to    delay the start-up.  

  “The situation at Montara continues to be challenging. There are many steps to    be undertaken before we can make full assessments of the status of the    platform and development work can be resumed in 2010 to safely bring the    Montara field into production,” PTTEP’s Australian director Jose Martins    said today. 

  The leak from the H1 well was stopped on 3 November after more than 3400    barrels of heavy mud was pumped down the relief well from the nearby West    Triton rig, stopping the flow of gas, oil and water. While the situation had    remained stable since then, it was not a permanent solution to secure the    well. The plugging operations were always planned so the H1 well could be    safely secured. 

  Last year PTTEP estimated the leak from the damaged wellbore at between 300 to    400 barrels of oil per day since the blowout in late August and early    November, but the Department of Resources, Energy & Tourism told a Senate    committee in late October that it believed up to 2000 bpd was leaking into    the sea.  

  Based on the Thai operator's figures, between 21,300 and 28,400 barrels,    leaked into the Timor Sea since the blowout.  

  The area surrounding the Montara development is home to a wide variety of    marine wildlife, including several species of dolphin, sea turtles, sea    snakes and humpback whales, as well as migratory sea birds.  

  PTTEP acquired Montara in late 2008 after it took over Australian junior    Coogee Resources.  

  The Montara project covers the Montara, Swift and Skua fields in blocks AC/L7    and AC/L8, which lie in 80 metres of water. The field was to be brought on    stream via a floating production, storage and offloading vessel.  

  PTTEP said previously that Coogee's proven and probable oil reserves were 45    million barrels plus significant contingent resources from its interests in    blocks AC/L7, AC/RL7, AC/P32, AC/P34 and AC/P40.

upstreamonline.com

----------


## Bobcock

We are currently bidding to build the replacement wellhead.

----------


## Nawty

Remember to send me the documents for some mods..

----------


## Chairman Mao

Good stuff BC.




> The jacket is the legs that sits on the seabed with 4 (in this case) 'legs' sticking out of the water..


BTW, how deep is the water? ie, how long are the legs that have to reach and sit on the seabed?

----------


## dotcom

80 meters - about 240 feet. The legs are 350 feet or longer. 60 foot air gap. Plus the width of the hull.

----------


## Mid

*Company says cap left off leaking well*
ANDREA HAYWARD
                                                    January 14, 2010

             The Thai-based company behind an oil spill in the Timor Sea has revealed, ahead of a federal government inquiry, that a containment cap was not installed at a well that spewed oil for more than 10 weeks.

             A submission from PTTEP Australasia, which operates the Montara oilfield off Western Australia's northwest coast, has been published on the Montara Commission of Inquiry website.

             The inquiry, to be headed by former public servant David Borthwick, will summon witnesses, take evidence on oath and require individuals and corporations to hand over relevant documents.

             PTTEP said it was aware of the cause of the spill after it plugged the leaking H1 well, near the West Atlas oil rig, in early November, but would wait until the inquiry to reveal it.

             "When the work on the wells recommenced in August 2009, PTTEP discovered that the 340mm pressure-containing corrosion cap required by the drilling program had not been installed during the suspension of the H1 Well in March 2009," the company's submission says.

             "The drilling Superintendent had been advised by the drilling supervisor on the West Atlas, in an email advice of offline activities at the time of the March 2009 suspension, that the 340mm pressure containing corrosion cap was installed."

             The success of the relief well operation confirmed the source of the flow was in fact in the 244mm casing in the H1 Well and the most likely cause of that was a channel in the cement in the casing of the 244mm shoe track, the company said.

             The corrosion cap was removed on August 20 to clean up corroded casing threads in the well and was not reinstalled, PTTEP said.

             Oil, gas and condensate began leaking from the well on August 21, prompting the evacuation of workers on the West Atlas rig.

             The National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority (NOPSA) and the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts have also made submissions to the inquiry, which will examine the information ahead of public hearings.

             Hearings are expected to take place between February 22 and March 31, with public hearings to be held in Canberra.

             The terms of reference include:

             * the cause of the spill;
             * whether the regulatory regime governing the oil drilling operation was adequate; * the performance of relevant people acting under that regime;
             * the adequacy of the response; and
             * the environmental impact of the spill.

news.smh.com.au

----------


## Whiteshiva

> PTTEP said it was aware of the cause of the spill after it plugged the leaking H1 well, near the West Atlas oil rig, in early November, but would wait until the inquiry to reveal it.


....would wait and hope nobody would find out, is probably closer to the truth.....

----------


## Bobcock

> how long are the legs that have to reach and sit on the seabed?


The jackets I described and showed pics of are designed for a water depth of 180 - 243ft.

I don't think we have ever installed a design as low as 180ft but we have been very close to the 243ft.

The answer dotcom gave regarding legs was for the jack up drilling rig not the jacket (although the water depths were consistent).

The WD of Montara I don't know yet, funnily enough we are only being asked to look at the topsides not the jacket, though I'd be suprised if they did have to build a new one.

----------


## Airportwo

I would "guesstimate" the water depth at 198' judging the amount of leg left in the air on Jack Ups     :mid:

----------


## dotcom

Let me ask a stupid question. Is this rig drilling in international waters - or platform if you prefer? Does Australia still get to raise hell & fine PTTEPA for a spill?

The well that blew out was not plugged properly. They are using the term "cap" but really wells get suspended by a whole series of plugs - mechanical as well as 500 foot cement plugs. So it sounds to me like the previous owner fucked up real bad.

----------


## Mid

*Thai PTTEP says Montara start-up delayed to H2/2011*
(Reporting by Pisit Changplayngam; Writing by Khettiya Jittapong; editing by Alan Raybould)
Fri Jan 15, 2010

*BANGKOK,* Jan 15 (Reuters) - Thailand's PTT Exploration and Production PTTE.BK said on Friday the start-up of the Montara field in Australia would be delayed to the second half of 2011 from this year.

   The company expected revenue from its operations in the Montara field, which suffered an oil leak and fire in late 2009, to come in 2011, according to presentations given to analysts.

   PTTEP, the exploration flagship of PTT PTT.BK, Thailand's biggest energy firm, said on Monday it planned to invest about $13 billion from 2010 to 2014. 

($1 32.85 Baht)  

reuters.com

----------


## Mid

*Oil leak group wins Australian licence*


_The PTTEP rig at the height of the oil leak. _ 
[ABC]

 Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board has approved the sale of  an exploration licence to a Thai company involved in a large oil spill  in the Timor Sea. 

The company, PTT Exploration and Production,  bought the licence for the 421 square kilometre block, Oliver, from  Stuart Petroleum.

The Australian Government is investigating why  one of the company's rigs leaked oil for 70 days into the Timor Sea. 

Chris  Smyth, the Healthy Oceans campaigner at the Australian Conservation  Foundation, says he is disappointed the government did not wait until  the inquiry had finished its investigation.

"The company needs to  wait for the report from the inquiry and the government needs to also  wait for that and to basically say, look we're going to put things on  hold for the moment."

The Oliver block is in the Timor Sea off  north-western Australia, about 40 kilometers from where PTTEP operates  two existing blocks, Jabiru and Challis.

radioaustralianews.net.au

----------


## Mid

*Montara drill boss denies changing statement*
18 March 2010

 
_Inferno: the Montara wellhead paltform and jack-up West  Atlas were engulfed in flames shortly before the H1 well was killed on 3  November              _ 


                             A PTTEP drilling supervisor today denied changing his recollection of an  event    that may have helped trigger the blowout at the Montara field, off    north-west Australia last year, after speaking to a senior executive  with    the Thai operator.         

In its fourth day of hearings in Canberra, the Borthwick inquiry today  heard    from Noel Treasure, who was working under contract to PTTEP as its  drilling    supervisor on board the Seadrill-owned jack-up rig West Atlas.  

  Treasure was working on the rig in March last year when cement casing  work -    designed to preserve the integrity of the suspended well - was carried  out    on the H1 well at the Timor Sea field.  

  The inquiry heard problems arose as cementing was being carried out.  

  Crew on the West Atlas believed they solved the problem by pumping 16.5    barrels of seawater into the well's casing and letting the cement set,     however the inquiry heard that this may have weakened the barrier,  which has    since been identified as a root cause of the blowout and subsequent  oil    spill.  

  Counsel assisting the inquiry Tom Howe QC today questioned Treasure  about    changes he made to his statements to National Offshore Petroleum  Safety    Authority (Nopsa) investigators about the cementing job.  

  Howe showed Treasure statements he made to Nopsa and an unsigned draft  witness    statement to the inquiry where Treasure said he was told by a PTTEP  official    onshore, Chris Wilson, to pump the 16.5 barrels back into the casing.  

  However, in a statutory declaration to the inquiry dated last Monday,  Treasure    said he now thinks had made the decision to pump back the 16.5  barrels.  

  In evidence given today, Treasure maintained that he made the decision  to pump    back the cement.  

  Treasure admitted that he had spoken on the telephone to another PTTEP    executive, Craig Duncan, last week about his draft witness statement.  

  He said he asked Duncan if he had seen his statement, telling the  inquiry that    Duncan replied: "I hope it's correct and you could substantiate it." 

  Treasure told the inquiry his conversation with Duncan prompted him to  go back    and re-examine his files, but denied it led to him changing his story.   

  "It prompted me to do checks to make sure I can substantiate it because I     was having trouble remembering and I was so nervous about it I was  really    worried about it, and I wasn't feeling right," he said.  

  Treasure told the inquiry he had recently had a hip replacement  operation and    was still recuperating from surgery. 

  The H1 well at the Montara field blew out on 21 August last year,  spewing an    as-yet undetermined volume of oil, gas and condensate into the Timor  Sea.  

  The blown-out bore was eventually plugged via a relief well, drilled by    Seadrill's West Triton jack-up, on 3 November.  

upstreamonline.com

----------


## klongmaster

So what's the go here...are they trying to pin the blame on the Treasure guy or is he actually to blame?...

----------


## Mid

or is he bowing to pressure from his employers to sell a different story ?

----------


## klongmaster

either way, thanks for the update...the outcome will be interesting...

----------


## Airportwo

> So what's the go here...are they trying to pin the blame on the Treasure guy or is he actually to blame?...


"Somone" wants shit to roll downhill, as follows is a fairly standard clause in a Company mans contract, obvious what they are trying to do..........


CONTRACTOR shall expeditiously, and in a diligent, skilful, safe, and workmanlike manner, according to good industry practice, carry out work as required and or as determined in Scope of Work, including the training of local and expatriate personnel when required to do so. CONTRACTOR shall act towards CLIENTs, customers and all other persons in a way that would not bring the COMPANY nor the CLIENT in disrepute. CLIENT Health and Safety and Substance use policies and regulations shall apply to CONTRACTOR. No alcohol is to be consumed during any shift or during working hours and CONTRACTOR must present for work in a fit and sober condition. CONTRACTOR shall remain loyal to the COMPANY at all times and agrees to uphold the name of the COMPANY and conduct business in a manner as determined by the COMPANY through its directive, whereby the COMPANY wishes to serve the CLIENT to the expected capacity with integrity and in a professional manner.
xxxx

----------


## Mid

*Sacked engineering apprentices 'will be rehired'*
Posted 6 hours 57 minutes ago 
  *Map:* Darwin 0800The union that represents apprentices who have been  sacked by a Darwin engineering company says it has been told the workers  will get their full entitlements.

 Universal Engineering says it has had to let go of all 16 of its  apprentices because it is owed several hundred thousand dollars by the  company PTTEP Australasia.

 PTTEP runs the Montara oil rig in the Timor Sea that last year burst  into flames after developing a leak.

 Universal Engineering is owed money for work on the rig.

 Bryan Wilkens from the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU)  says there is little work around in Darwin for the apprentices.

 "But ... we've had assurances from Universal that they will get  rehired when the work picks up or when they get the money from PTTEP,"  he said.

 "Doesn't seem to me like Universal will go into liquidation so they  would be entitled to their normal redundancy provisions."

 Chris Young from the Northern Territory Chamber of Commerce says  Universal Engineering is not alone.

 "There has been no provision made for compensation for work already  done," he said.

xxx.xxx.xx

----------


## Mid

*Indonesia demands  compensation for Timor Sea spill*
July 22, 2010

*JAKARTA,* July 22, 2010 (AFP) - - Indonesian President Susilo  Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday demanded compensation for an oil spill off  northwestern Australia that campaigners say destroyed fishermen's  livelihoods.

"Certainly we will carry out our responsibility to  solve this problem. We'll propose a claim to the company causing the oil  spill while maintaining good diplomatic relations with the governments  of Australia and Thailand," he told a cabinet meeting.

"What's  clear is the company must give something as accountability for the  incident," he said, adding that Indonesians affected should "receive  decent compensation".

The Thai-operated West Atlas rig dumped  thousands of barrels of oil into the Timor Sea between the Indonesian  archipelago and Australia after a leak began in August last year.

Yudhoyono  did not specify how much compensation Indonesia would seek from the  rig, which is operated by PTTEP Australasia.

But local  non-governmental group the West Timor Care Foundation, which supports  poor fishermen in eastern Indonesia, has called for a figure of around  15 billion dollars.

Environmental group WWF says more than 400,000  litres (over 105,000 gallons) of oil have been spilt, generating a  slick spanning 10,000-25,000 square kilometres (up to 9,650 square  miles).

The West Timor Care Foundation estimates the spill as even  larger and says it has affected the livelihoods of some 18,000  fishermen.

"Fish, dolphins and sea turtles were killed and the  pollution posed health problems to the community. We don't know how long  it will take to heal the ecosystem," said the group's head Ferdi  Tanoni.

WWF earlier said the spill was "one of Australia's biggest  environmental disasters".

nz.news.yahoo.com

----------


## Mid

*Thai drilling firm tells Indonesia to  prove 'damage'*

 
_This 2009 photo provided by the World Wildlife  Fund (WWF), shows oil leaking from the Montara oil rig              
AFP/HO/File_  

*SYDNEY* (AFP)  A Thai-based drilling company at the  centre of one of Australia's biggest oil spills Friday challenged  Indonesia's demands for compensation, calling for it to present  "verifiable evidence".

                  Responding to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's vow to seek damages  over the spill's impacts on Indonesia's coast, PTTEP Australasia said it  was yet to receive any official or proven claim that oil had reached  that far.

                  "PTTEP has received no claim for compensation related to reported  impacts in Indonesian waters from oil from the Montara field between  August and November last year," said PTTEP's chief financial officer  Jose Martins.

                  "The company has not been presented with any verifiable evidence of any  damage."

                  Yudhoyono said affected Indonesians -- primarily believed to be West  Timorese fishermen -- should receive "decent compensation" over last  year's Montara leak, which spilled thousands of barrels into the Timor  Sea.

                  According to his transport minister, "direct losses" were estimated at  around 500 billion rupiah (55 million dollars).

                  Environmental group WWF says more than 400,000 litres (over 100,000  gallons) of oil were spilt, generating a slick spanning 10,000-25,000  square kilometres (up to 9,500 square miles).

                  West Timor's Care Foundation, which supports poor fishermen in eastern  Indonesia, estimates the spill as even larger and says it has affected  the livelihoods of some 18,000 fishermen.

                  But Martins said claims that the oil had reached Indonesia had been made  "principally through the media", adding that the Australian embassy in  Jakarta issued a statement last November claiming the spill was far from  the coast.

                  He said the statement described "small patches of weathered oil" in  Indonesia's exclusive economic zone, with some of it coming within about  100 kilometres (60 miles) of the country's Roti Island.

                  Martins added that PTTEP had attempted to clarify with the Australian  authorities whether the oil had spread to Indonesia.

                  "If (compensation) claims are received, the evidence will be assessed  and the claims treated on their merits," he added.

                            news.yahoo.com

----------


## Bobcock

Is it me or is that 833,333 USD per fisherman?

----------


## Mid

55,000,000 / 18,000 = 3055.55

----------


## Bobcock

> But local non-governmental group the West Timor Care Foundation, which supports poor fishermen in eastern Indonesia, has called for a figure of around 15 billion dollars.


I went on that

----------


## Mid

fair enough ,

*15 billion dollars.*

that's a _shot for the stars you might hit the moon_ call

----------


## Mid

*Prices pump up PTTEP profit*
28 July 2010

                                                     Thailand's PTT Exploration & Production (PTTEP) reported a    better-than-expected 63% rise in second-quarter net earnings today,  thanks    to higher petroleum sales and rising oil prices.             

                                                                       PTTEP posted a net profit of 10.6 billion baht ($329 million), or 3.20  baht    per share, versus 6.5 billion a year earlier. 

  Eleven analysts polled by Reuters had an average forecast of 9.5 billion  baht    for the April-June quarter. 

  Shares in PTTEP, valued at $15 billion on the Thai bourse, fell 3.3% in  the    second quarter, underperforming a 1.2% rise in the broader Thai  market. 

  The drop  reflected market concerns about compensation claims over an  oil    spill in the Montara field off Australia.   

upstreamonline.com

----------


## Mid

*Thai company will pay for Timor oil spill*
Adianto P. Simamora
 Sat, 07/31/2010

PTTEP Australasia has agreed to pay Indonesia compensation for  damage to its territory near Timor from an oil spill caused by the Thai  company’s rig, an official says.

“They have agreed to pay our  claim,” Indonesian advocacy team leader Masnellyarti Hilman said.

An  exact amount for compensation is still being calculated by the  Indonesian government since the oil slick has expanded to cover over  66,000 square kilometers (sqm) of the Timor Sea.

More than  500,000 tons of oil spilled into the Timor Sea after a PTTEP Australasia  oil platform exploded in the Montara field off Australia’s north coast  in August 2009. 

Negotiators from Indonesia and PTTEP Australasia  met for the first time Tuesday in Perth. The two parties have  not yet scheduled meetings.

The team will ask the National  Aeronautic and Aviation Agency (LAPAN) to perform modelling on the areas  affected by the spill before proposing a final amount for compensation,  Masnellyarti said.

“We will collect supporting data from the  Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, which previously reported a  level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAH] that exceeded marine  water quality standards,” she added.

Samples collected by the  Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources indicate that the hydrocarbons  now found in the Timor Sea were similar to samples taken from the  Montara platform, she added.

The Environment Ministry said its  analysis showed the quality of sea water in Timor Sea failed to meet  tolerable levels set by Indonesian government.

The ministry  sampled sea water in five different areas.

It said that the total  suspended density (TSS) of particulate matter in the samples was at 147  milligram per liter (mg/l), far higher than the tolerable level of 20  mg/l.

The East Nusa Tenggara environmental agency also found  physical and chemical contamination from the oil spill that exceeded the  tolerable level set by the Indonesian government.

The Montara  field was developed by the Norwegian and Bermudan-owned Seadrill company  and operated by PTTEP Australasia, a unit of PTT, the Thai state-owned  oil and gas company.

The company’s oil platform exploded spilled  more than 500,000 liters of crude oil into the Timor Sea.

Thirty-eight  percent of Indonesia’s sea territory in the Timor Sea was affected  by the spill, local fishermen’s catches dropped and thousands of  tons of dead shallow water fish and whales were discovered.

The  spill also destroyed seaweed farms cultivated by coastal communities in  East Nusa Tenggara.

Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi, who  is the head of the National Team for Ocean Oil Spill Emergency  Situations, previously said the government asked PTTEP Australasia to  pay US$5 million in initial compensation to repair environmental damage  from the spill.

The initial payment will cover the short-term  impacts of the spill, such as losses suffered by fishermen and seaweed  farmers in the area, and is estimated to exceed Rp 247 billion, he said

“That  was the figure when the oil spill area was still around 56,000 sqm. Now  that the area extends over 66,000 sqm. We must recalculate the figure,”  he said.

The East Nusa Tenggara provincial administration  estimated damage from the oil spill in the short term could reach Rp  806.17 billion.

thejakartapost.com

----------


## Mid

*PTTEP Says Indonesia to Present Claim for Last Year's Timor Sea Oil  Spill*
Eduard Gismatullin
Jul  31, 2010 

PTT Exploration & Production  Pcl, Thailands only listed petroleum explorer, said Indonesia plans to present a formal written claim to the company to cover damages caused by an oil spill in the Timor Sea last year. 

 PTTEP Australasia officials met representatives from the Indonesian government in Perth, Australia for the first time on July 27, the Bangkok-based oil company said today in an e-mailed statement. 

 Indonesia Transport Minister Freddy Numberi said this month that damage to the nation is estimated at about 500 billion rupiah ($56 million) and that this figure may rise. 

 PTT Exploration operated the  well from which it estimates as much as 400 barrels of oil a day leaked into the waters off Australias northwest coast for more than 10 weeks last year.

bloomberg.com

----------


## Mid

*Indonesia demands 2.4 bln dollar payout over oil spill from Thai oil  company: AFP*
วันอังคาร ที่ 31 ส.ค. 2553 

Indonesia demands 2.4 bln dollar payout over oil spill from  Thai oil company.
AFP

mcot.net

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## Mid

* Indonesia wants $3.3b payout* 
Aug 31, 2010

*JAKARTA* - INDONESIA has demanded US$2.4 billion (S$3.25  billion) in compensation from a Thai oil company for damages related to a  spill off the north-western coast of Australia last year, a minister  said on Tuesday. 

Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi said the claim for 22  trillion rupiah (S$3.25 billion) had been presented during talks with  PTT Australasia, a unit of Thailand's PTT Exploration and Production  PCL, in Australia last week. 

'Our calculation includes potential damage to the coral reef  in the affected area,' Mr Numberi was quoted as saying by Dow Jones  Newswires. 

The minister is leading a government team in negotiations  with the Thai company, which has asked for detailed scientific evidence  to back up Indonesia's claims. 

'PTTEP has ... joined hands with Australian authorities  concerned to closely follow the environmental situation,' the company  said in a statement on Friday, adding that the spill was limited to an  area around its damaged Montara well. 

'The result of these studies will be released to the public  when completed.' 

The leak in the Timor Sea from August 21 to November 3  was the worst from an offshore oil platform in Australian history,  although it was smaller than the recent BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  Like the BP spill, it dragged on for months as the company tried to plug  the flow with a relief well, a process that eventually succeeded.

straitstimes.com

----------


## Mid

*PTT says pay-out demand puzzling*
NALIN VIBOONCHART
September 1, 2010                
*
PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) is yet to  prove the damage caused by the oil spill in Indonesia with  scientifically-proven methods before reaching an agreement on the demand  for compensation which to date has risen to US$2.4 billion (Bt75  million), a high-ranking official of PTT, the parent company, said.* 

                              "We're quite confused about the amount of compensation  that Indonesia has demanded for the impact from the Montara oil leak.  But at the moment, the amount of compensation is not so important," said  PTT's chief financial officer Tevin Vongvanich. 

"We have to prove the damage first. PTT has ordered PTTEP as well  as other subsidiaries that have operations in Indonesia to run their  businesses cautiously and transparently as Indonesia is an important  location for the oil and gas businesses. We have to prevent possible  conflicts or problems," he added. 

He said the Australian government was closely monitoring the  issue and told its people to understand the current situation. PTTEP is  solving the problem and expects the Australian government to consider  the issue fairly.  

He said the group exercises strict caution in proceeding with its  businesses in Indonesia which cover coal mines and palm oil. To date,  the businesses have not been affected by the current situation.  

"The oil exploration and production business is not related to  the coal mines and palm oil businesses. PTT's subsidiary in Indonesia  responsible for the coal-mine business will increase production capacity  to 10 million tonnes by the end of this year," he said.  

Agence France Press yesterday quoted Indonesian Transportation  Minister Freddy Numberi as saying that the claim for 22 trillion rupiah  (Bt75 billion) had been made during talks with PTT Australasia, a unit of  Thailand's PTT Exploration and  Production, in Australia last week. 

"Our calculation includes potential damage to the coral reef in  the affected area," Numberi said. The minister is leading a government  team in negotiations with the Thai company, which has asked for detailed  scientific evidence to back up Indonesia's claims. 

"PTTEP has joined hands with Australian authorities to closely  follow up on the environmental situation," the company said in a  statement on Friday, adding the spill was limited to an area around its  damaged Montara well. The result of these studies will be released to  the public when completed." 

The leak in the Timor Sea from August 21 to November 3 was the  worst from an offshore oil platform in Australian history, although it  was smaller than the recent BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Like the BP spill, it dragged on for months as the company tried  to plug the flow with a relief well, a process that eventually  succeeded. It also led to calls for tougher regulation of offshore  drilling and criticism of the authorities responsible for monitoring the  operation.  

Evidence given at a commission of inquiry showed the Montara  slick grew to almost 90,000 square kilometres and entered Indonesian  waters, according to environmental group WWF. 

The West Timor Care Foundation, which supports poor fishermen in  eastern Indonesia, estimates the spill affected the livelihoods of about  18,000 fishermen. Businesses such as seaweed and pearl farms were also  reportedly hit. 

Following this year's Gulf of Mexico spill, which was the biggest  maritime spill on record and spewed some 4.9 million barrels of oil, BP  set up a $20-billion compensation fund.

nationmultimedia.com

----------


## Mid

*PTTEP rejects Indonesian oil spill cash claim*
3/09/2010

 A Thai-owned oil firm has rejected Indonesia's  US$2.4bn compensation claim over a major oil spill off Australia's north  which campaigners say hit the livelihoods of thousands of poor  fishermen.

 
_World Wildlife Fund-issued photo shows a man looking at a residue  left by the Montara oil rig leak in the pristine Timor Sea. The  Thai-owned firm Friday rejected Indonesia's 2.4 billion US dollar  compensation claim over the major oil spill off Australia's north which  campaigners say hit the livelihoods of thousands of poor fishermen._

 PTTEP Australasia, a unit of Thailand's PTT Exploration and  Production PCL, said on Friday it "has not accepted any claim" by  Indonesia over the months-long Montara spill, Australia's worst offshore  drilling accident.

 "PTTEP Australasia wishes to confirm that it has not accepted any  claim made by the Indonesian government for compensation," a statement  said, adding that "no verifiable scientific evidence" has been given to  support the claim.

 Indonesia made the claim this week, saying it included compensation  for damage to coral reefs.

 The leak in the Timor Sea from August 21 to November 3  last year was  the worst from an offshore oil platform in Australian history, although  it was smaller than the recent BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

 Like the BP spill, it dragged on for months as the company tried to  plug the flow with a relief well, a process that eventually succeeded.

 It also led to calls for tougher regulation of offshore drilling and  criticism of the authorities responsible for monitoring the operation.

 Evidence given at a commission of inquiry showed the Montara slick  grew to almost 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 square miles) and  entered Indonesian waters, according to environmental group WWF.

 The West Timor Care Foundation, which supports poor fishermen in  eastern Indonesia, estimates the spill affected the livelihoods of about  18,000 fishermen. Businesses such as seaweed and pearl farms were also  reportedly hit.

 Following this year's Gulf of Mexico spill, which was the biggest  maritime spill on record and spewed some 4.9 million barrels of oil, BP  set up a 20-billion-dollar compensation fund.

bangkokpost.com

----------


## Mid

*West Atlas salvage gets under way*
10 September 2010 


_Written off: the West Atlas                  _ 

                                                     A Sea Trucks/Svitzer Salvage joint venture has started work to remove  the    cripped Seadrill jack-up West Atlas from the Montara wellhead  platform, in    the Timor Sea off Australia.             

                                                                          Sea Trucks' newbuild DP3 offshore construction vessel Jascon 25 will  carry out    the removal of the unit, which was destroyed in a fire at the field   last    year. 

  The jack-up was drilling at the field on 21 August last year when a  production    well blew out, triggering an oil spill. No one was hurt in the  incident. 

  The blown-out bore was finally killed by a relief well on 1 November.  

Shortly    after the successful well kill,  hydrocarbons on the rig ignited,  engulfing    the wellhead platform and jack-up in flames. 

The fire was killed on 3    November. 

  The jack-up was a write-off. It is understood Seadrill received a $200  million    insurance pay-out on the rig.  

  Today, a  Sea Trucks spokeswoman confirmed the vessel had arrived at the     Montara field and that work was under way. 

  The job involves cleaning and removing debris from the rig, as well as    removing the unit's cantilever drill floor, which collapsed on to the    wellhead platform during the blaze.  

  PTTEP Australasia, which operates Montara, said earlier it believed the    cantilever deck would be cut into sections and lowered on to the  Jacson 25's    deck. 

  Once that is completed, the rig will be jacked down and towed to  Singapore. 

  Work is expected to take a little over three months. Financial details  were    not available. 

  A Seadrill spokeswoman was not available for comment.

upstreamonline.com

----------


## Bobcock

The 2009 Montara oil spill off Australia's north-west coast was the worst-ever offshore spill in the country. (PTTEP)*Map:* Darwin 0800Major shortcomings in the company's procedures were widespread and systemic, directly leading to the blowout.
 Montara Commission of Inquiry Report
An inquiry into Australia's worst offshore oil spill says the Thai-based owner of the oil well is to blame for the environmental disaster.
Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson has tabled in Parliament the report on the August 2009 Montara oil spill off Australia's north-west coast.
Oil and gas flowed uncontrollably into the Timor Sea, about 250 kilometres off the coast, for about 10 weeks, making it the third largest oil spill ever in Australia, and the worst offshore incident of its kind in the country.
The report says the company did not adhere to approved control measures or well-construction standards.
"The inquiry has concluded that PTTEP Australasia (Ashmore Cartier) Pty Ltd did not observe sensible oilfield practices at the Montara oilfield," the report states.
"Major shortcomings in the company's procedures were widespread and systemic, directly leading to the blowout."
Mr Ferguson told Parliament he has accepted the report's recommendation that PTTEP should have its operating licence reviewed.
"The Government is committed to doing everything possible to avoid incidents like Montara in the future and is working to ensure we achieve the best and safest offshore petroleum industry in the world," he said.
"Industry, government and regulators must be absolutely committed to a culture of high safety standards and environmental protection within a framework of continuous improvement."
Mr Ferguson also told Parliament the Northern Territory's Department of Resources failed to adequately regulate operation of the oil well.
"The commissioner found that the Northern Territory Department of Resources was not a sufficiently diligent regulator, adopting a minimalist approach to its regulatory responsibilities," he said.
"The way in which the regulator conducted its responsibilities gave it little chance of discovering PTTEP poor practices."
*'Accident waiting to happen'*

The inquiry found that PTTEP treated the Northern Territory Department of Resources as if it were a "soft touch".
"In essence, the way that PTTEP AA operated the Montara oilfield did not come within a 'bull's roar' of sensible oilfield practice. 
"The blowout was not a reflection of one unfortunate incident, or of bad luck. 
"What happened with the H1 well was an accident waiting to happen; the company's systems and processes were so deficient and its key personnel so lacking in basic competence, that the blowout can properly be said to have been an event waiting to occur."
Mr Ferguson said the Montara oil spill should never have happened.
"At the heart of this matter is the failure of the operator and the failure of the regulator to adhere to this regime.
"Montara was preventable. 
"If either, or preferably both PTTEP AA or the Northern Territory designated authority had done their jobs properly and complied with requirements, the Montara blowout would never have happened."
Mr Ferguson says the Government will move to have a single, national offshore regulator of the industry.
The Greens Senator Rachel Siewert has welcomed the report and the Government's response.
But she says the Greens are extremely concerned that PTTEP has been allowed to continue operating since the incident.
"We will be pursuing legislative changes that ensure that the Government has the power to make sure that a company that is in this situation cannot continue to operate in our waters for another up to 18 months or longer until a Commission of Inquiry of this nature produces its findings."

----------


## harrybarracuda

BBC's report on it:




> An Australian government inquiry has blamed the country's worst offshore oil leak on the rig's Thai owner.
>          The report said PTTEP Australasia, a unit of Thailand's PTT  Exploration and Production, had failed to observe "sensible" practice.
>          The Australian Resources Minister told parliament the Thai firm should have its operating licence reviewed.
>          More than 400 barrels of oil a day spewed into the pristine Timor Sea off Australia's north coast for 10 weeks.
>          The oil hit the coast of Indonesia and East Timor.
>          Oil began leaking from the West Atlas rig and Montara wellhead platform north of Australia last August.
>          It was plugged on a fifth attempt in November 2009, after a slick had spread an estimated 90,000 sq km (35,000 sq miles).
>    Loss of control 	      "The widespread and systematic shortcomings of PTTEP  Australasia's procedures were a direct cause of the loss of  well-control," Mr Ferguson said.
>          "Well-control practices approved by the regulator would have  been sufficient to prevent the loss of well-control, however PTTEP  Australasia did not adhere to these practices or its own  well-construction standards," he said.
> ...

----------


## Thaihome

The report can be read here
http://www.ret.gov.au/Department/Doc...ara-Report.pdf

Seems it was a bunch of Australian cowboys at work.
TH

_PTTEPAAs senior personnel on the rig and onshore were also deficient in their decision‐making and judgments in relation to a number of important matters. For example, they failed to comprehend the manifest problems in the cementing job for the cemented 9⅝" casing shoe. In particular, Mr Treasure (company Drilling Supervisor), Mr Wilson (company onshore Drilling Superintendent) and Mr Duncan (company onshore Well Construction Manager) failed to adequately comprehend that the cementing operation was seriously compromised and required testing and, most likely, remedial action. The magnitude of this failure reflected a failure of judgment and competence_.

----------


## hazz

Sounds like it was a prelude to the BP/US gov disaster this year.

Many companies will, if allowed, cut corners; the root cause here, as in the US, is an ineffective regulator enforcing regulations that would have prevented the accident.

----------


## Mid

*PTT shares plunge on oil spill report*
24/11/2010

 PTT stocks took a deep plunge on Wednesday after  the Australian government said PTTEP Australasia had not used sensible  oilfield practices at the Montara oilfield in the Timor Sea.

 The oil leakage could result in PTTEP losing its licence to operate in Australia.

PTT closed midday at 313.00 baht, down 9.00 baht or 2.80 per cent.

PTTEP stood at 173.50 baht, down 6.50 baht or 3.61 per cent.

PTTAR stood at 37.50 baht, up 0.50 baht or 1.35 per cent.

PTTCH stood at 161.50 baht, down 2.00 baht or 1.22 per cent.

 The Montara commission of inquiry report, made public on Wednesday,  found PTTEP Australasia, owned by the Thai government, had not used  sensible oilfield practices at the Montara oilfield.

 The practices resulted in oil leaking from a well off Western Australia's northwest coast which went unchecked for 10 weeks.

 PTTEP spokesman Chris Kalnin said he had acknowledged there were  deficiencies in the company's operation and the company was working to  address them through an action plan.

bangkokpost.com

----------


## Thaihome

You can have all the regualators in the world, but if the company culture is not one that insists on following procedures to the letter, they will do little good. In fact, they may make it worse as it becomes a game to fool them.
TH

----------


## Mid

*PTTEP price drops on Australia's move*



*PTT Exploration and Production Plc's share price  today dropped Bt9 or 5 per cent to Bt171, following Australia's  announcement that it is considering to revoke the oil licenses in the  Montara oil field.*

The Australian government said today it is considering revoking  PTTEP's licenses following a recent oil spill at its Montara platform in  August 2009, the latest regulatory backlash against the global energy  industry as it reels from a string of disastrous spills. An independent  report into the incident found "widespread and systemic" shortcomings in  PTTEP's procedures were a direct cause of the loss of well control,  Resources Minister Martin Ferguson told Parliament.  

According to Australia News Network, Ferguson told Parliament  he has accepted the report's recommendation that the  PTTEP should have  its operating licence reviewed.

"The government is committed to  doing everything possible to avoid incidents like Montara in the future  and is working to ensure we achieve the best and safest offshore  petroleum industry in the world," he said. 

 "Industry, government  and regulators must be absolutely committed to a culture of high safety  standards and environmental protection within a framework of continuous  improvement."

 He also told Parliament the Northern Territory's  Department of Resources failed to adequately regulate operation of the  oil well.

 "The commissioner found that the Northern Territory  Department of Resources was not a sufficiently diligent regulator,  adopting a minimalist approach to its regulatory responsibilities," he  said.

 "The way in which the regulator conducted its responsibilities  gave it little chance of discovering PTTEP Australasia's poor  practices."

 Ferguson said the Montara oil spill was avoidable. "At  the heart of this matter is the failure of the operator and the failure  of the regulator to adhere to this regime. Montara was preventable. "If  either, or preferably both PTTEP AA or the Northern Territory designated  authority had done their jobs properly and complied with requirements,  the Montara blowout would never have happened."

 Ferguson said the government will move to have a single, national offshore regulator of the industry.

nationmultimedia.com

----------


## The Bold Rodney

> Originally Posted by Mid It is the flagship in the exploration and production business of top Thai energy firm PTT Yes, and they are just doing a fuck of a good job too.


Could have been worse...they might have called in the "BP experts" to advise.

----------


## Mid

*PTTEP acknowledges oil spill in Timor Sea: Minister*
Nani Afrida
 12/14/2010

Thailand-based oil and gas producer PTTEP Australasia has  finally acknowledged responsibility for an oil spill in the Timor Sea  that occurred in 2009, an Indonesian minister said.

We held a  meeting with them and they have confessed. Actually, we need the  confession, Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi said in Jakarta on  Tuesday.

The company would hold another meeting with the Indonesian government to discuss data on sea contamination, Freddy said.

We still demand Rp 23 trillion (US$2.56 billion) in compensation from the company to repair the damages, Freddy said.

PTTEP  Australasias oil platform in the Montara field off Australias  northern coast exploded and spilled more than 500,000 liters of crude  oil per day into the Timor Sea in August 2009.

Thirty-eight  percent of Indonesias marine territory in the Timor Sea were reportedly  affected by the spill. Local fishermens catches reportedly dropped and  thousands of tons of shallow water fish died, while marine mammals,  including whales, also fell victim.

thejakartapost.com

----------


## Mid

*Australian government covers up causes of Montara oil spill*
Mike Head 
30 December 2010

 The  Gillard government has sought to shield itself, and the rapidly growing  offshore oil and gas industry in Australia, from the fallout from last  years 74-day spill at the Montara wellhead platform, 250 km off the  countrys northwest coast. Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson  last month released the report of an official inquiry that confined  blame for the disaster to the Thai-owned company that operated the well,  and the Northern Territory (NT) regulator that Ferguson had placed in  charge of monitoring safety in the offshore oil and gas field.

 According  to the inquirys findings, the Thai conglomerate PTTEP systematically  violated elementary safety standards. Its systems and processes were so  deficient that the blowout was an accident waiting to happen. As for  the designated regulator, the Northern Territory Department of  Resources, it adopted a minimalist tick and flick and no questions  asked approach that gave it little chance of discovering PTTEPs poor  practices.

 Nevertheless, the inquiry, and the government,  concluded that these were simply faults of one company and one agency,  effectively whitewashing the cost-cutting, profit-driven character of  the entire industry, the de-regulation regime introduced over the past  20 years, and the Labor governments efforts to rapidly expand an  industry that last year generated $35.6 billion in revenue for the  energy conglomerates.

 Ferguson delayed releasing the report,  which he received in June, for five months in order to bury the issue  during the August federal election. He was also concerned to distance  its publication as far as possible from this years catastrophic  Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. When the findings  were eventually made public, he used them to reject demands for a  moratorium on the opening up of new areas of the Australian-controlled  seabed for exploration and drilling.

 The energy minister  acknowledged that the Deepwater Horizon disaster had highlighted safety  and environmental concerns, but declared that shutting down the  industry and putting the nations energy security, jobs and the economy  at risk would do nothing to enhance safety. Ferguson claimed that the  establishment of a national regulatorto be named the National Offshore  Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) would  restore the Australian communitys confidence in the regulation of the  industry.

 In reality, all the circumstances surrounding the  Montara blowout and the governments response indicate that the lives of  drill workers, the well-being of fishing and other communities in  Australia and neighbouring Indonesia, and the health of the marine  environment, are to be put at ever greater risk.

 The Montara  blowout lasted for 74 days, from August 21 to November 3, 2009. It took  five attempts to plug the leak by drilling a new connection that  intercepted the well casing, some 2.6 km below the seabed, and then  pumping in mud. Before the fifth attempt succeeded, a three-day fire  broke out on the platform, highlighting the danger that had existed for  the 65 workers who were evacuated from the rig when the leak initially  erupted.

 Throughout the disaster, Ferguson and then environment  minister, Peter Garrett, downplayed the size of the spill and the  environmental fallout. They cited PTTEPs unsubstantiated claims that  about 300 to 400 barrels of oil were leaking daily. The commission of  inquiry, conducted by former senior public servant David Borthwick,  estimated a spill of as much as 1,500 barrels a day and a slick that  extended up to 90,000 square kilometres, and into Indonesian waters near  West Timor, where the oil contaminated fishing and seaweed farming  areas.

 Borthwick concluded that the environmental monitoring of  the spill was so poor that: It is unlikely that the full impact of the  blowout will ever be known. This reflects the vast and remote area  affected by the spill; the absence of solid reliable baseline data on  species and ecosystems, and the slow response in putting together a  monitoring plan.

 The inquiry found that the immediate source of  the blowout was the failure of the primary well control barrier, a  cemented shoe casing, and that the causes of the spill were systemic.  Not one well control barrier on the H1 Well had complied with the  companys own standards; the cement casing had not been pressure-tested,  despite major problems in installing it; and only one of the two  required secondary well barriers was ever installed. Despite being  advised of this highly dangerous situation, PTTEP ordered drilling to  proceed.

 None of PTTEPs five wells at the Montara oilfield had  proper safety controls. Borthwick rejected the companys insistence that  it did not cut corners or seek to minimise costs where this might  compromise safety or well integrity, saying this claim does not bear  scrutiny. He concluded that PTTEPs operation did not come within a  bulls roar of sensible oilfield practice, adding that the company  regarded the regulator as a soft touch.

 Under the Offshore  Petroleum Act the federal government was the regulator of the oil and  gas fields across the Timor Sea. Ferguson, however, had delegated  responsibility to the small NT resources department, allocating it just  $2 million a year for the task. Borthwick reported that the NT  department had only one technically qualified official and does not  conduct on-site inspections. In any case, under the Labor governments  2009 regulations, the maximum penalty for unsafe operating was just  $8,800.

 The NT agencys hands off approach was entirely in line  with the de-regulation agenda that has increasingly been implemented by  both Labor and Liberal governments over recent years. Borthwick  referred to a move away from prescriptive regulation toward  objective-based regulation, leaving it to the owner/operator to  determine how good oilfield practice is to be applied.

 Nevertheless,  the report did not recommend a return to prescriptive regulation,  asserting that this would be unnecessarily complicated, obscure and  likely to unduly stifle innovation and new technologies. While  Borthwick recommended higher penalties and the introduction of a  polluter-pays principle for clean-up costs, this regime would still  leave the door wide open for profit-driven cost-cutting in the guise of  innovation.

 In fact, Fergusons proposal for a national  regulator is substantially derived from a previous Productivity  Commission report, published in the same month as the Montara blowout.  In Borthwicks words that report focused on removing unnecessary  burdens on the sector. He said such an agency would provide operators  with a one-stop-shop for all environmental and workplace safety  licences.

 Obviously briefed in advance, the oil industry umbrella  group, the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association  (APPEA), immediately welcomed the report and the governments response.  APPEA chief executive Belinda Robinson noted that the proposed single  regulator was in line with the Productivity Commissions review.

 To  deflect attention from the underlying issues, Ferguson announced a  further investigation to determine whether to cancel PTTEPs five oil  and gas production licenses. The minister insisted that the industry did  not have a cowboy culture, and falsely claimed that Montara had been  the first major leak in Australian waters in 25 years, during which time  more than 3,000 wells had been drilled.

 In reality, in 1998,  there were fatal explosions at the Longford natural gas plant in the  Bass Strait, on Australias southern shore, operated by Esso Australia, a  subsidiary of Exxon. Esso was eventually found guilty of breaching  safety laws over the blasts, which killed two workers, Peter Wilson and  John Lowerty, and injured another eight, as well as cutting gas supplies  to more than a million homes and businesses for two weeks.

 A  jury convicted Esso on 11 occupational health and safety charge,  including failure to identify hazards, assess risks, monitor dangerous  conditions, and provide crisis shutdown devices. Under the de-regulation  regime in place, Esso was largely responsible for running its own  safety checks. WorkCover Victoria, the government agency responsible for  carrying out safety audits, had been downsized to such an extent that  inspections and risk assessments had been severely curtailed.

 The  Gillard governments response has been driven by its determination to  expand the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry as quickly as possible,  providing a bonanza for giant corporations, such as ExxonMobil, Chevron  and Shell, that have projects underway off the north-west coast.  Ferguson last year estimated Australias gas reserves at $1 trillion and  forecast that LNG exports would total $24 billion by 2017-18, nearly  doubling over a decade. The Labor governments whitewash of the  potentially fatal Montara disaster will only ensure that the major  operators will continue to put industry workers, nearby populations and  the natural environment at great risk in the pursuit of ever-greater  profits.

wsws.org

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## Mid

*Talks on Montara oil spill remain unclear*
01/12/2011

*JAKARTA:* Negotiations with an foreign company for compensations  for an oil spill in the Timor Sea remain unclear, despite the imminent  expiration of the decree empowering the Indonesian team.

Transportation  Minister Freddy Numberi previously issued a decree, which was expected  to expire on Saturday, creating a negotiation team comprised of senior  officials from the Foreign Affairs, Environment, Maritime Affairs and  Fisheries Ministries.

The team was established 10 months after  the Montara oil platform operated by Thai-owned oil-rig operator PTTEP  Australasia exploded in August 2009. 

Environment Minister Gusti  Muhammad Hatta said that the Indonesian team and PTTEP representatives  would meet again on Monday to continue discussions.

I will  report to Minister Freddy [and ask him] to extend the decree so the team  can continue the negotiations, Hatta said on Tuesday. 

Hatta said that Indonesia wanted PTTEP to admit its culpability for the oil spill, which damaged Indonesian territory.

Indonesia has unofficially demanded Rp 23 trillion (US$ 2.5 billion) in compensation for damage from the spill.  _JP

_thejakartapost.com

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## Mid

*Australia extends Montara license to PTTEP*



*The Australian government decided to allow  PTTEP  Australasia Pty Ltd (PTTEP AA), a wholly owned subsidiary of PTT  Exploration and Production Plc. (PTTEP), to continue its operation in  Australia, according to PTTEP's release today.*

                              "The ongoing Montara development is expected to lead to  first oil production in the fourth quarter this year. Construction of  the wellhead platform topside is expected to be completed this month,"  said Anon Sirisaengtaksin, president and CEO of PTTEP, in the release. 

Regarding the Indonesian government's claim, PTTEP AA is in  discussion with the Indonesian government team to seek verifiable  evidence proving the oil spill damage. No conclusion has been reached,  the company said.

 In Australia's announcement, made by Australia's Minister for  Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson MP, the government allows the  company to continue its exploratation and production in Australia. Its  decision recognises PTTEP's commitment to deliver the highest standards  of oil field practice and safety in its operations. 

 "The action plan implemented by PTTEP AA effectively responds to the  issues identified in the Montara Commission of Inquiry and sets PTTEPAA  on the path to achieving industry best practice standards for both good  oil field practice and good governance," the minister said. 

PTTEP AA will fully comply with an 18-month action plan  monitoring programme. The company will cooperate with the government to  complete a binding Deed of Agreement which will ensure the action plan  is fully implemented.  

Anon said "We are very pleased with this announcement and  confident of restoring the Australian government's trust in PTTEP AA's  capability as a prudent operator with international E&P best  practices. We developed the Action Plan in consultation with the  Australian Government and key regulatory agencies and had implemented it  with our full contribution for about 1 year to prove our commitment as  prudent operator in Australia. We are firmly committed to further  developing our action plan to regain more trust, as well as to  delivering the highest standards of E&P practices and safety in our  operation wherever we operate."  

The key elements of the plan cover the improvement of the safety,  health and environment management system, development of a drilling and  a competency management system, and the interface between PTTEP  headquarters in Bangkok and PTTEP AA in Australia. In all these areas,  PTTEP AA will apply E&P best practices.  

The company added that some elements of the plan have been  accomplished or are in progress. For example, review of PTTEP AA's  drilling organization and drilling management system documentation, to  improve efficiency and safety, is being completed.  

 In addition, the company is making structural management changes  by appointing a new Australian chief executive officer and an advisory  board, which will collaborate with PTTEP AA's senior management in  delivering better corporate governance. To be chaired by Pichai  Chunhavajira, a PTTEP board member, the advisory board will comprise  representatives from PTTEP in Bangkok, and independent members from  Australia who are to be appointed in coming months.  

 PTTEP AA is funding a long-term environmental monitoring program  in association with the Department of Sustainability, Environment,  Water, Population and Communities (DSEWPaC). Further results of other  scientific studies will be provided when they become available.

nationmultimedia.com

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## Mid

*Montara oil spill workers call for compensation settlement*
12 March 2012

               Two oil rig workers who were caught up  in one of Australia's worst oil disasters, the Timor Sea Montara blowout  in 2009, are wondering why they are being treated differently to BP's  oil workers in the US who were involved in the Gulf of Mexico disaster.

         Montara oil spill workers call for compensation settlement (Credit:  ABC) 

            They say it's outrageous that PTTEP Australasia is dragging its heels when a company like BP is settling cases overseas.

Earlier this month, BP agreed in principle to pay a further $8 billion dollars in compensation.

However  in Australia, PTTEP denies responsibility for the Montara blowout and  is locked in a legal battle, despite a federal inquiry blaming the  company.

*Presenter:* David Weber

*Speaker:* Tim Kucera, lawyer

WEBER:  Bruce Taplin and Peter Dowse were the last to leave the Montara  platform after the blowout in August 2009. They're seeking compensation  for mental and emotional trauma and for loss of earnings. Tim Kucera  says his clients have seen BP moving to resolve claims and they're  wondering why theirs haven't been dealt with.

KUCERA: The Montara  incident happened before what happened in the Gulf of Mexico. My clients  are looking at this and saying to me, well look if it's good enough for  BP why isn't it good enough for PTTEP to sit down and resolve these  issues? They both involved blowouts, they both involved a large amount  of oil being discharged into the sea. I suppose as we say the only  significant difference between the two incidents is is that the people  that were on the Montara rig weren't incinerated at the time of the  blowout, which is what happened in the Gulf of Mexico.

WEBER: PTTEP is defending the legal claim through its insurer. Mr Kucera says this makes things difficult for his clients.

KUCERA:  What their defences do is they deny that they breached the duty of  care, which they acknowledge they owed our clients. The difficulty that  creates for us is this: There's a Commonwealth government inquiry report  which clearly sheets responsibility home to PTTEP for the whole  disaster. I think everyone in the community would've thought that the  findings in that report would've brought those issues to a close. But in  reality what's taking place is that our clients are about to go into a  fight for compensation.

WEBER: So PTTEP has admitted to having a duty of care but has not admitted responsibility for what has happened

KUCHERA:  That's what the defence does. They say yes we have a duty yes we own  and operated the rig but we are not responsible for what occured in the  west Atlas incident

WEBER; So how are Bruce Taplin and Peter Dowse going?

TIM  KUCERA: In addition to battling the post traumatic stress conditions  that they are suffering from Bruce Taplin has run out of money. His  compensation payments under our West Australian workers comp system ran  out some months ago. Mr Dowse is looking down the gun barrel of a  similar problem come July. Those blokes are up against it when it comes  to meeting day-to-day expenses and their bills. Despite public promises  to make good their mess we're seeing our clients being put under the  same sorts of pressures you typically see in these kinds of compensation  cases. PTTEP have been allowed to get on with their lives, with their  commercial lives and get on with their business, my clients want the  same thing

WEBER: A spokesman for PTTEP has said the company would  not be commenting because the matter is in the hands of its insurer.  The lawyers for the insurer have not responded to a request for  information.

radioaustralia.net.au


audio available at the link .

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## Mid

meanwhile early reports indicate a rig is adrift in the region after tow lines again snapped off Darwin , which has just had a cyclone watch cancelled .............

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## Mid

*Australian oil disaster 'costing Indonesians billions'*
George Roberts
July 26, 2012

  
_Photo:        WWF vision of the Montara oil spill from 2009._

   A study has found that contamination from one of  Australia's worst oil spills is still costing Indonesian fishing  villages more than $1.5 billion per year.

The Montara oil platform was in Australia's exclusive economic zone, but when the well head blew out in August 2009, the slick drifted across the Timor Sea to Indonesia. 

Now the the Centre for Energy and Environmental Studies in Jakarta has produced an interim report on the damage. 

It  has found the oil and chemical dispersants used are still affecting  marine ecosystems and costing coastal communities more than $1.5 billion  per year in lost earnings. 

The centre's director, Doctor  Mukhtasor, says Australia, Indonesia and the Thai government-owned  company involved are obligated to fund a full investigation and work out  compensation.

A west Timor community spokesman, Ferdi Tamoni,  says the loss of livelihood is also driving local fisherman into people  smuggling.

xxx.xxx.xx

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## Mid

*2009 Timor Sea Oil Spill ‘Just as Devastating as Gulf of Mexico’*
 July 22, 2012

 
_This handout photo provided by the World  Wildlife Fund (WWF) from Sept. 2009 shows a man looking at a waxy  substance found in water affected by the Montara oil rig leak in the  Timor Sea. Monitoring the clean-up of a huge oil spill in pristine  Australian waters could take as long as seven years, an official said in  Nov. 2009, as environmentalists urged a wide-ranging inquiry into the  disaster._ 
(AFP Photo/WWF/Kara Burns)  

*Kupang, West Timor.* A  prominent US expert in oil spill recovery said in Kupang on Saturday  that Indonesia needs to craft a program to deal with the lingering and  largely over-looked effects of the 2009 Montara oil spill in the Timor  Sea. 

Dr. Robert Spies, who was the Chief Scientist for the Exxon  Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, and who served as an adviser to US  government after the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010, said the  Timor Sea can still be restored, but only with “serious attempts” made  by the Indonesian and Australian governments in coordination with the  company who operated the Montara platform. 

Serious attempts  would include substantial money, much of which should come from Thai  state-owned oil and gas company PTT Exploration and Production,  Montara’s primary operator.   

Spies said he's recently studied  the impact of the Montara spill in the Timor sea, especially in  Indonesian waters. He said the pollution caused by the Montara leak was  just as severe as the Gulf of Mexico spill. 

“Restoration  programs could be made after hearing expert opinions involved in  examining the effects of the pollution on the environment,” Spies said  at a discussion on pollution and impact on the environment.  

The  Montara oil spill leaked an estimated 2,000 barrels a day from Aug. 21  to Nov. 3 2009 (or 74 days), according to the Australian Department of  Resources, Energy and Tourism. The Montara slick grew to almost 90,000  square kilometers and entered Indonesian waters, according to  environmental group WWF.  

A team led by the Environment Ministry  said the oil slick covered 16,420 square meters of Indonesian maritime  territory. The West Timor Care Foundation, which supports poor fishermen  in eastern Indonesia, estimated the spill affected the livelihoods of  about 18,000 fishermen. Businesses such as seaweed and pearl farms were  also reportedly hit. 

Spies said damage in the Gulf of Mexico was  minimized thanks to quick action taken by American authorities in 2010;  Spies said the US government was quick to launch environmental  restoration programs, and asked British Petroleum to finance much of the  environmental assessment.

BP was also asked to provide compensation for people directly impacted by the spill — namely fishermen.  

Similar  methods could be used for the Timor Sea pollution through coordination  through the multitude of companies involved, Spies was quoted as saying  by Antara. 

The Motara platform was owned by Norwegian-Bermudan  Seadrill, and operated by PTTEP Australasia (PTTEPAA), a subsidiary of  PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) — that company was in turn a  subsidiary of PTT. 

Houston-based Halliburton was involved in  cementing the well, and were also involved in cementing the ill-fated  Deepwater Horizon well. 

_Jakarta Globe and Antara

_thejakartaglobe.com

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## mingmong

This is an absolute disgrace, not just the Lack of awareness it received but how they get away with it!! 

  Ive heard the Old Rig was removed and another Thai and Foreign Crewed Rig replaced it, many Australian Seamen lost there job. I meet 1 recently at Singa Airport, 
Northern Territory Government and N.T. News  quite gutless in providing news, or reporting the Facts.

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## Blue water dreaming

^The rig was in international waters, 200 kilometers off the West Australian coast. Why would you claim the NT News and NT Government were gutless? It is nowhere near their jurisdiction.

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## mingmong

My apologies 'Blue' You probably work for the Shiite Rag at 1 time

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## Blue water dreaming

> My apologies 'Blue' You probably work for the Shiite Rag at 1 time


Now that's just rude; I have standards.
But Wicking is bloody funny!

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## thehighlander959

^
You don,t get many seamen on an Oil Rig. You get seamen on boats and vessels but not on Oil Rigs. Normally when you hire an Offshore Platform it comes complete with its drilling crew. You may get a choice of local catering companies plus stewards and cooks.

By the way I am on an Oil Rig at present in Qatar. Four European Expats as the management team on board, two on dayshift and two on nightshift, the rest of the crew are Indian, Philippines, a couple of Ukrainians and a couple of Kenyans a total of 76 people on board.

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## Bobcock

So are you Indian or Filipino?

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## thehighlander959

No but I have done Indian and Philippino girls here in Qatar... :cmn:

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## Bobcock

That counts....now...Rule 1??

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## mingmong

sorry there ''were'' Aussies Production crew on the previous Rig, I have only been out there on an Malaysia owned but crewed by Australian's Rig Tender a few years ago now.

 Headlines in N.T.News this week is ''Man puts Fireworks up His Ass''  Cops might fine Him $280.00 { no Crocodile pictures available this week }

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## Mid

*Thai firm admits guilt over Montara spill* 
Xavier La Canna                            
 August 30, 2012   

*THAILAND'S state-owned PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) is  facing up to $1.7 million in fines after pleading guilty to charges  relating to the 2009 Montara oil spill off Australia's northwest coast.                                 * 

 At a hearing in Darwin Magistrates Court on Thursday the company  pleaded guilty to four charges connected to the oil-well spill in the  Timor Sea three years ago.

"From the outset we have admitted  responsibility for the incident and deeply regret it occurring," company  chief executive Ken Fitzpatrick told reporters after the guilty plea.

"Mistakes were made that should never be repeated."

Oil  and gas condensate leaked from the Montara well, off the northern coast  of Western Australia, for more than two months from August 21, 2009, in  one of Australia's worst-ever oil disasters.

On November 1, during attempts to plug the well, there was an explosion which caused a fire that burned until November 3.

 Some oil from the spill reached Indonesian waters.

The company  pleaded guilty to three charges related to the Offshore Petroleum and  Greenhouse Gas Storage Act, which each have a maximum penalty of  $550,000, and another charge of failing to ensure the operations were  conducted in a proper manner, that has a maximum $50,000 fine.

The  court is expected tomorrow to detail what the fine will be, although  the amount is usually discounted in the case of a guilty plea.

Mr  Fitzpatrick said the environmental impact was estimated to have cost the  company $40 million to $50 million, although scientific studies were  continuing.

He said since the Montara spill PTTEP had transformed  its operations and culture and had introduced measures to ensure a  similar incident could not occur.

"The hearing today draws a line  under the Montara incident and allows us to focus on delivering safe,  clean operations in Australia now and in the future," he said.

Director  of the Environs Kimberley environment group, Martin Pritchard, said the  maximum penalty PTTEP was facing was not a strong enough deterrent for  the wealthy company.

"It was an absolutely massive oil spill," Mr Pritchard said.

PTTEP is expected to commence oil production from Montara before Christmas this year.

perthnow.com.au

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## mingmong

* From the ABC News AU*
Company fined $510k for Timor Sea oil spill
Staff reporters
Updated Fri Aug 31, 2012 4:17pm AEST

 PHOTO: The 2009 Montara disaster spilled millions of litres of oil into the sea and it took more than two months to stop the leak. (PTTEP)
MAP: Darwin 0800
The company responsible for a major oil spill in the Timor Sea has been fined more than half a million dollars in the Darwin Magistrates Court.

About 70 workers were evacuated from the Montara oil rig, about 250 kilometres off the north-west coast of Western Australia, after a blowout which spewed oil into the Timor Sea.

The 2009 disaster spilled millions of litres of oil into the sea and it took more than two months to stop the leak.

PTTEP Australasia had pleaded guilty to four breaches of the Offshore Petroleum Act, including one which relates to workplace safety.

The Thai government-owned company has a month to pay the $510,000 fine.

Chief Executive Ken Fitzgerald says his company has made changes in the last three years to prevent a disaster like Montara from happening again.

"We have an independent advisory committee that advises me on safety and compliance matters," he said.

"We have revamped our drilling management system and we've introduced a line of sight process that, if it had been in place in 2009, the incident wouldn't have happened."

Mr Fitgerald says the company spent $40 million in cleaning up the spill.

Last month, an Indonesian report on the incident said it is still costing fishing villages in that nation more than $1.5 billion a year.

The Centre for Energy and Environmental Studies in Jakarta said the oil slick drifted across the Timor Sea to parts of Indonesia.

In an interim report, it has claimed that the oil and chemicals used to disperse it are still affecting marine ecosystems and coastal communities.

PTTEP Australasia has flagged the re-opening of the Montara field but has not said how much it will cost to do so or when it will be done.

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## OhOh

> Chief Executive Ken Fitzgerald


Traditional Thai name!

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## Mid

*Spill field back in production*
Peter Klinger
June 21, 2013


The West Australian © 

Almost four years after sparking one of Australia's worst  environmental disasters, the Montara oil field in the Timor Sea has  finally achieved first production for its Thai owner.

PTTEP  Australasia, part of Thai giant PTT, said yesterday oil production had  begun at Montara and output was gradually building to 21,000 barrels a  day.

The oil is flowing from three production wells. A fourth well is due to be completed later this year.

"First oil at Montara is an exciting development for PTTEP Australasia," chief executive Ken Fitzpatrick said.

"It is the culmination of hard work and attention to detail by our project team to deliver safe and clean production."

Yesterday's  milestone marks the end of a costly and oft-delayed  reconstruction of  the Montara project following the August 2009 oil spill, one of the  worst in this country's history. An ensuing fire  destroyed the Montara  wellhead platform and the West Atlas drilling rig.

The disaster  happened just nine months after PTTEP bought the project off Gordon  Martin's Coogee Resources and minority shareholders for $US170 million.

The  rig was subsequently scrapped in Singapore and PTTEP has rebuilt the  wellhead platform, including installing a new top side. The production  wells are connected at a subsea level to the Montara Venture floating  production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel.

Project  completion has been  delayed because of myriad factors, including  cyclone activity and the availability of rigs to drill the production  wells.

Mr Fitzpatrick said first oil offtake from the FPSO was scheduled for August.

The Montara project is 700km west of Darwin and estimated  to contain proven and probable  reserves of 45 million barrels.

Mr  Fitzpatrick used yesterday's first-production news to declare that  PTTEP had transformed "management culture, operational capabilities,  safety processes and environmental systems" since the 2009 spill.

He  said PTTEP's revised approach had been validated by five independent  reviews commissioned by the Federal Government over more than two years.

au.news.yahoo.com

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