It is this possible attempt to ‘widen the Gap’ to encompass areas to the east
and west of the JPDA that is crucial to claims that East Timor is entitled to
exercise jurisdiction over significant seabed resources beyond the confines of
the JPDA—notably much of the Sunrise development to the east, but also the
Laminaria-Corallina and Buffalo fields to the west.
This could potentially be achieved by defining lateral boundary lines perpendicular to the general direc-tion of the coast of Timor Island, creating a corridor-type effect.
In this context it is worth observing that the 1972 seabed treaty between Australia and
Indonesia anticipated that some adjustment to those segments of boundary
located directly to the east and west of the Timor Gap, and thus to the dimen-sions of the Gap itself, might be required on the conclusion of additional mar-itime boundary delimitation agreements with a third party (at the time Portugal
on behalf of East Timor).
It is highly questionable, however, whether
the drafters of the 1972 treaty anticipated the sort of radical alterations to the
scope of the Timor Gap which accommodating East Timor’s lateral claims
would necessitate.