Timor Sea

The Timor Sea (Indonesian: Laut Timor; Portuguese: Mar de Timor; Tetum: Tasi Mane or Tasi Timór) is a shallow sea in the Indian Ocean. It lies north of Australia, south of the island of Timor, and is bordered by Timor-Leste to the north and Indonesia to the northwest. To the east, it meets the Arafura Sea.

The sea holds important resources, including reefs, small islands, and underwater stores of oil and gas. When these resources were found, countries had to make agreements, leading to the Timor Sea Treaty.

Because the Timor Sea sits near the Ring of Fire, it can feel strong earthquakes and sometimes tsunamis. It is also close to the Equator, so big storms can develop there.

In 2009, the Timor Sea had a very large oil spill, one of the worst in twenty-five years. Some scientists think the first people to live in Australia may have crossed this sea long ago when the water was lower, coming from the Malay Archipelago.

Etymology

The Timor Sea gets its name from the island of Timor, which lies to its north. The island’s name comes from a word in the Malay language meaning "east."

In the local Tetum language, people call the Timor Sea tasi mane, which means "male sea." The nearby 'Ombai-Wetar Strait', known for having smaller waves and clearer water, is called tasi feto, meaning "female sea."

Geography

The Timor Sea is a body of water next to the island of Timor. To the east, it connects to the Arafura Sea. It touches parts of Australia’s north coast, including areas near the city of Darwin. Several rivers flow into the Timor Sea from Australia and nearby regions.

The Timor Sea is about 480 km wide and covers a large area. Its deepest point, called the Timor Trough, reaches down more than 3,300 meters. Most of the sea is much shallower, with many parts less than 200 meters deep.

History

World War II

Main article: Battle of Timor (1942–43)

During World War II, Japanese ships in the Timor Sea launched air attacks on places like Darwin in Australia. One big attack happened on February 19, 1942, when Japanese planes struck Darwin and sank several ships, starting the Battle of Timor in the Pacific part of the war.

Hydrology

Timor Current

The Timor Current is a big flow of water that moves southwest in the Timor Sea. It helps carry water from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean through a place called the Indonesian Throughflow.

Hydrocarbon reserves

Beneath the Timor Sea lie large reserves of oil and gas. In June 1974, a well drilled by Woodside-Burmah's Big John rig found hydrocarbons, confirming the area's potential. Several offshore oil and gas projects are now in operation, with more being explored.

The largest project is the Bayu-Undan field, which began producing gas in 2004. This gas is transported through a pipeline to a plant in Darwin, where it is turned into liquid for export to Japan. The Ichthys gas field, discovered in 2000, began producing gas in 2018. Other projects include the Puffin oilfield and the Greater Sunrise gas field, which could bring significant money to East Timor. There are also plans for new projects like the Barossa gas field, though these face opposition from local communities and climate groups.

Territorial dispute

Since oil was found in the Timor Sea in the 1970s, countries have argued about who owns the oil and gas. This disagreement started between Australia and Indonesia, but they made a deal called the Timor Gap Treaty. Later, when Timor-Leste became a country in 1999, they started new talks with Australia, leading to the Timor Sea Treaty.

For many years, Australia claimed part of the sea up to a certain line, but Timor-Leste said the line should be in the middle. In 2018, Australia agreed to a new line in the middle.

Timor Sea Treaty

The Timor Sea Treaty was signed on May 20, 2002. It created an organization to manage oil and gas in a shared area. The treaty was approved in February 2007.

Under this treaty, money from oil and gas is shared, with most going to Timor-Leste. Some people said the treaty wasn’t perfect because it didn’t fully decide the sea border between the two countries.

2018 Maritime Boundaries Treaty

The Australia–Timor Leste Treaty Establishing Their Maritime Boundaries in the Timor Sea was signed on March 6, 2018, at the United Nations in New York.