ITS to research Montara oil spill in Timor Sea

Surabaya's Sepuluh November Institute of Technology (ITS) is set to soon conduct research on the pollution of the Timor Sea caused by the 2009 Montara oil spill.

“We are currently setting and designing the research program,” ITS West Timor Foundation head Ferdi Tanoni said in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, on Tuesday.

East Nusa Tenggara, an Indonesian province, borders with the Timor Sea in the south and the east.

Ferdi said ITS would dispatch seven researchers to Kupang for the project.

He added the university was establishing communications with the Exxon Foundation State Council, which deals with oil spills, in a hope they could join hands in the research, planned to commence in mid September.

East Nusa Tenggara Deputy Governor Esthon Foenay said recently the local administration was still gathering data regarding the estimation of losses caused by the Montara oil spill, tempointeraktif.com reported.