But the news is not so good for Indonesian company Lapindo Brantas, which has been ordered by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to pay more than $US100 million ($A132 million) for the fiasco.
A torrent of hot mud erupted 200m from the Santos part-owned Banjar Panji-1 exploration well during deep drilling on May 29, spewing 126,000 cubic meters of muck per day.
Despite desperate efforts to stop the deluge, the mud has swallowed massive tracts of agricultural land and heavily populated villages, forcing some 12,000 villagers to flee their homes.
Amid protests by local farmers and environmentalists, Yudhoyono ordered authorities to begin pumping the first of millions of litres of the mud into a local river to push it to the sea. But scientists have said the deluge could last for more than 100 years.
Australian Associated Press reports that authorities are investigating whether to charge several workers and companies involved in the drilling at the site, including operator Lapindo, which ordered the drilling.
Lapindo has a 50% interest in the well, while PT Medco holds 32% and Santos, 18%.
The national newswire quoted head of East Java’s provincial police’s criminal unit Amhar Azeth saying he expects police to hand over their files to prosecutors in the next few weeks.
But he said it is doubtful police would pursue a criminal case against Santos.
“How can someone who put in investment capital be considered guilty in the disaster,” AAP quoted Azeth as saying.
“It would be difficult to prove it.”
Santos has set aside $24 million for its share in the clean-up costs.
But the Indonesian Government has ordered Lapindo, a unit of Indonesia’s Energi Mega Persada, to pay more than $100 million to foot the bill for cleaning up the mess and compensating those affected.
In a letter to the Indonesian stock exchange, Energi Mega said it expected to pay about $106 million this year for the tragedy, for which it is yet to admit any responsibility.
The company has said it would sell its shares in project operator Lapindo to cover the costs.
The planned sale is pending approval from Energi Mega’s shareholders at a meeting to be held on Friday.
It is believed the environmental disaster began when Lapindo incorrectly sealed an exploration shaft, causing it to collapse and freeing the high-pressure heated mud. But the company claims a powerful earthquake that rattled the Javanese city of Yogyakarta triggered it.
