page_title: Timor Sea
section_title: Hydrocarbon reserves
hierarchical_section_title: Timor Sea / Hydrocarbon reserves
caption_attribution_description: English: Oil Slick in the Timor Sea, September 2009
context_page_description: The Timor Sea is a relatively shallow sea bounded to the north by the island of Timor, to the east by the Arafura Sea, to the south by Australia.
  The sea contains a number of reefs, uninhabited islands and significant hydrocarbon reserves. International disputes emerged after the reserves were discovered resulting in the signing of the Timor Sea Treaty.
  The Timor Sea was hit by the worst oil spill for 25 years in 2009.
  It is possible that Australia's first inhabitants crossed the Timor Sea from Indonesia at a time when sea levels were lower.
context_section_description: Beneath the Timor Sea lie considerable reserves of oil and gas. Confirmation of the prospectivity of the Timor Sea came when Woodside-Burmah's Big John rig drilled Troubadour No. 1 well in June 1974 on the Troubadour Shoals about 200 kilometres (120 mi) southeast of Timor, and intersected 83 metres (272 ft) of hydrocarbons. A number of offshore petroleum projects are in operation and there is considerable exploration activity either underway and numerous proposed projects. A gas pipeline crosses the Timor Sea from the Joint Petroleum Development Area to Wickham Point near Darwin.
  The Timor Sea was the location for Australia's largest oil spill when the Montara oil field leaked oil, natural gas and condensate from 21 August to 3 November 2009. During the spill 400 barrels (64 m³) of oil leaked each day. The Montara Commission of Inquiry placed blame on the Thai company PTTEP, owner of the wells.
caption: Oil slick from the Montara oil spill in the Timor Sea September 2009.
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