Reports have just surfaced of an oil spill in Papua New Guinea where the country’s biggest oil and gas producer (Oil Search) has admitted “sighting a small number of droplets” in the water after loading oil onto a tanker at its Kumul Marine Terminal in the Gulf of Papua.
In its official statement, the company has advised that loading has ceased and they are awaiting the arrival of a diving support boat to inspect the loading line. Sources say the arrival of the support vessel is about a week away and rough weather in the area has prevented preliminary inspection.
While the company claims the spill is less than a barrel, a spill is a spill. Bad weather coupled with the delay in the arrival of the diving vessel, it would be interesting to see just how small this spill is.