'Huge damage' in Australia spill

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8321700.stm

The international conservation group, WWF, says a spill from a damaged
oil rig in the Timor Sea off Australia has caused massive contamination.

The WWF, which made a three-day survey of the area off Australia's
north-west coast, said the spill was having a significant impact on
marine life.

A spokeswoman said she had seen dolphins swimming in water that was
covered with oil.

Engineers are mounting a fourth attempt to plug the leak on the West
Atlas rig.

It has been spilling oil for almost nine weeks.

Outrage

The WWF spokeswoman, Dr Gilly Llewellyn, said that if the spill was
closer to shore there would be global outrage.

She said there were areas where the slick extended in every direction
for as far as the eye could see.

Officials from Australia's Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism
said on Thursday the damaged rig could be leaking as much as as 2,000
barrels of oil a day.

Described as a vast wilderness area, the area affected by the spill is
home to many humpback whales, endangered turtles, dolphins and other
marine life.

Conservationists have said this is Australia's most damaging oil spill
in 25 years.

The West Atlas drilling platform lies about 200km (125 miles) off
Australia's west coast.

The rig's operators have said that plugging the leak is an extremely
complex task.

Operator PTTEP Australasia said the drilling team has come within
centimetres of the target in previous attempts.

About 300 people are working on addressing the spill, in the Timor Sea,
at the Truscott air base and at Darwin, PTTEP has said.

Seventeen vessels and nine aircraft, including a Boeing 747, have been
used in the operation since 21 August.

Engineers have tried to cap a small hole 25cm wide that lies deep
beneath the seabed.

Boats have been spraying chemicals to help disperse the slick and stop
it spreading.