By NOEL MURPHY
MONSTERS of the deep rarely show their tentacles but the oil rig chugging through the Port Phillip Heads at Point Lonsdale this week was an exception to the rule.
The Chinese-built rig – chartered by Origin Energy — was on its way to Westernport Bay and its first commission, in Bass Strait, after being floated in waters off Melbourne.
“She didn’t come into Corio Bay but you’re always aware when a monster like that comes into the bay even if it doesn’t come to Geelong,” said Dilip Abraham, port of Geelong harbourmaster with the Victorian Regional Channels Authority.
“She was brought into Port Phillip Bay carried on a ship and floated off in the deepest part of bay. They’ve now taken her to Westernport Bay to stand on her own three legs and she’s going into Bass Strait when she’s fully ready to go.
“Her legs would be at least 50 to 60 metres long. These oil rigs are used for places where oil reserves aren’t very much and it’s too expensive to set a regular oil rig operation, these are for smaller reserves.”
