(MWN / 04-10-09) The oil slick of a structure of a subsidiary of the Thai state oil company PTTEP in the Timor Sea, arrived yesterday to territorial waters of Indonesia, causing serious damage to the great marine biodiversity and fisheries in the area.

Oil spill now covers more than 10,000 square kilometres and it is approaching the protected area of Sea Savu, where several endangered species of turtles, dolphins and whales live.

According to Gilly Llewellyn, head of Oceans of the Australian section of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF): “ The area is one of the strategic jewels in Indonesia to protect the Coral Triangle, an area of fix million square kilometres between Asia and Oceania that experts call ‘the underwater Amazon.’”

Until now, the oil slick has reduced catches of about 700 fishermen from the province of East Nusa Tenggara by 80 percent. Meanwhile, and for the second consecutive day, they are working to extinguish the fire occurred yesterday when trying to stop the oil spill, described as “ecological disaster” by WWF.

Fire burns out of control two nautical miles far from the drilling rig and the oilfield platform of West Triton in the Timor Sea, which separates Australia from Indonesia. Flames began when workers were carrying out works of injecting mud to cover the drill into the well, located approximately 155 miles far from the Australian coast.