What is the Timor Sea?
The Timor Sea lies between northern Australia and the island of Timor. Darwin sits on its eastern edge, and its seabed holds important oil and gas fields.
The sea is bordered by the Kimberley and Northern Territory coasts to the south and by Timor-Leste and Indonesia to the north. It connects to the Arafura Sea in the east and the Indian Ocean in the west.
For decades, Australia and Timor-Leste disagreed about where the maritime boundary should be, because of the valuable gas fields beneath the sea. A treaty signed in 2018 set a permanent boundary between the two countries.
Tropical waters
The Timor Sea is warm all year and can be hit by tropical cyclones in the wet season. Its reefs and islands support turtles, dugongs and seabirds, and pearl farming is important along nearby coasts.
Several Australian oil and gas projects operate in or near the Timor Sea, sending gas by pipeline to processing plants near Darwin.
Did You Know?
Ashmore Reef, an Australian territory in the Timor Sea, is a protected marine reserve rich in sea snakes and seabirds.