Warning for mariners as ghost rig lights goes out
A month after administrators were called in, the Cliff Head oil platform prompts a safety warning from the Maritime Union of Australia.
The Maritime Union of Australia is expressing concern for the safety of mariners as the Cliff Head oil platform's lights have been turned off, leaving a navigation hazard in its wake. The abandoned rig, located 11 kilometres off the coast of Dongara, has been a navigation aid for over a decade but is now unlit and surrounded by a 500 metre exclusion zone.
With Pilot and Triangle energy companies entering voluntary administration and the rig now idle, the decommissioning process and who will foot the $200 million clean-up bill remains unclear. Western Australia's Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure has issued an alert about the lack of lighting on the oil rig, urging mariners to be aware of the navigation hazard.
The Maritime Union of Australia's assistant national secretary has warned that unlit infrastructure out at sea can pose a significant risk, especially at night, and calls for greater action to ensure such platforms are cleaned up promptly.
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