ATTEMPTS to clean up the crude oil spilled from the West Atlas Offshore drilling rig in the Timor Sea are currently underway.
The rig is under contract to mining company PTTEP Australasia. The group says crude oil began spilling from its rig at about 4:00am (AEST) on 21 August.
The National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority (NOPSA) says it is investigating the incident and is unsure of how extensive the problem is.
Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman Tracey Jiggins says a search and rescue plane with an environmental specialist on board is assessing the size of the spill and the environmental situation.
A Hercules aircraft on loan from Singapore has applied chemicals to disperse the oil.
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