RI to file lawsuit against PTTEP

The government of Indonesia has decided to file a lawsuit against Thai-based oil company PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) for the oil spill incident in the Timor Sea in August of 2009, Kompas reported Saturday.

Deputy of the Minister of Environment, Sudariyono said that the planned legal action was made after four years of negotiation has failed to force the Thai firm to pay compensation for the damages caused by the spill.

He said that the ministry has already met with other related ministries and government institutions to decide on the lawsuit, and is currently making the necessary preparations including collecting the evidence.

"Enough with the negotiation," he said. "Indonesia will sue PTTEP for polluting the Timor Sea," he said, but stop short of providing details including where the lawsuit will be filed, and the amount of compensation demanded.

PTTEP Australasia's oil platform in the Montara field off Australia's north coast exploded in August 2009, leaking 2,000 barrels of oil a day before the spill was halted in November 2009.

Indonesia began negotiations for financial damage in July 2010. Indonesia claimed at the time the oil spill affected nine Indonesian regencies around Timor Sea, polluting 70,341 square kilometers of water and coastline.

However, PTTEP said it had found no verifiable evidence to support any of these claims. (*)