An oil rig operated by a unit of top Thai energy firm PTTEP in the Timor Sea, which has been leaking for 10 weeks, caught fire on Sunday, officials said. The West Atlas rig operated by PTTEP Australasia, a unit of PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP), started leaking on Aug. 21 and efforts to stop the leak have failed. PTTEP finally stopped the leak on Sunday, but as it was trying to fill the hole with heavy mud, the West Atlas rig and Montara wellhead platform caught fire, said Australian officials. All workers were safe and were being evacuated from the rig, more than 200 km (125 miles) off the northwest Australian coast. "Current operations are focused on reducing the intensity of the fire," said Australian Resources Minister Martin Ferguson. "Some of the world"s leading experts are working to fix the leaking well and respond to this latest problem," he said in a statement quoted by Reuters. --SPA
