No Resumption Date For Jabiru

The Age

Tuesday December 12, 1995

BARRY FitzGERALD

BHP Petroleum said yesterday it was not possible to say when the 12,000 barrels-a-day Jabiru oil field in the Timor Sea could resume production.

The oil field, 700 kilometres west of Darwin, was shut in at the weekend after eight barrels of oil were spilt.

BHP Petroleum, a 50 per cent partner and operator for the joint venture, said the spill was caused by a submerged buoy, which supports oil flow-lines, breaking its moorings and rising to the surface.

It is expected to take two to three days before the necessary equipment is on site to assess the problem. Only then can an estimate be made of when production will resume.

BHP Petroleum said the oil leak was monitored by helicopter until it dispersed in a three-metre swell caused by two cyclones in the area.

About 800 barrels of oil have been spilt during Australia's 30-year history of offshore oil production.

The Jabiru field was developed using a floating production vessel, the Jabiru Venture. That type of development has been the main cause of ``unexpected" oil spills from flow-line breakages in recent years.

The other partners in the Jabiru joint venture are Cultus (18.75 per cent), Norcen (14.68 per cent), Santos (10.31 per cent) and Ampolex (6.25 per cent).

© 1995 The Age

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