The Montara oil spill took place in the Timor Sea on 21 August 2009. It occurred in a remote area northwest of the
Western Australian coast, approximately 690 kilometres from Darwin, 260 kilometres north-west of Truscott Air
Base in Western Australia, 160 kilometres from Ashmore Reef, and 250 kilometres from Indonesia. The spill
continued until 3 November 2009, when the well was capped by a relief well.3 In total, approximately 64 000 litres
of oil per day leaked from the well from 21 August 2009 until 3 November 2009, a total of 106 days.4
Figure 1: Location of the Montara Well Head Platform. Note the distance from the Statutory
Agency, the Northern Territory Government and the remote location. Note also the proximity
of the Platform to West Timor. Source: Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Major Oil Spill:
Montara Well Head Platform
In total,
approximately 6.7 million litres of oil leaked from the well.