MODERN TECHNOLOGY USED TO TRACK OIL LEAK

30 August 2009
WEST ATLAS OIL LEAK UPDATE

Reports and data received from AMSA's surveillance and monitoring flight today reveal the slick is now within a rectangular shaped area about 25 nautical miles (nm) x 70 nm. It also reported the coverage of oil within the area has lessened. The targeted aerial spraying of dispersant has been successfully enhancing the natural breakdown of the oil.
The slick has slightly pivoted anticlockwise around the West Atlas rig but is still within the vicinity of the rig itself. The expert aerial observer has confirmed the size of the slick through sophisticated onboard tracking and measuring equipment. AMSA has compared these observations with satellite imagery.
The movement of the slick has also been carefully monitored throughout the incident by satellite tracking buoys that AMSA deployed within hours of when the incident occurred. These buoys drift on the sea surface and send position data on an hourly basis that has proven to be a valuable tool to assist daily response planning.
The slick has not moved towards the coast overnight and AMSA has been in close contact with Western Australian authorities who last week put contingency plans in place with assets and equipment on standby if required.
The rig tender vessel Lady Gerda is now operating in the vicinity of the West Atlas rig. This vessel has state of the art equipment on board and will spray dispersants on targeted oil patches. It will also conduct regular sampling and testing while on location.