Woodside reported on 3 February that there had been a leak of about 300 barrels on 18 January and that government authorities were notified immediately.

But the Timorese government yesterday said that while Woodside had notified Australian agencies it had failed to tell Timor-Leste authorities of the incident.

"This is the second oil spill at this facility in three months, and in both cases we have received no information," said secretary of state for tourism, investment and environment Jose Teixeira.

“Woodside claims that the oil had evaporated from the area two days after the spill [but] the Timor-Leste Government is concerned that we have received no independent assessment of these incidents and the impact on the environment.

"I have asked Woodside for a formal report and an outline of any remedial measures and further measures that are necessary to prevent any more spills re-occurring."

The Timorese government has previously warned that failure to comply with relevant laws governing petroleum activities could expose Woodside to civil and criminal prosecution.

The Laminaria field lies 150km off the southern coast of Timor-Leste and 350km from the Australian coast. Both Timor-Leste and Australia claim sovereignty over the area.

"The Government of Timor-Leste considers this area to be under its maritime jurisdiction," Mr Teixeira said.

“Irrespective of the dispute, what has to be considered is the fact that occurrences such as this, with a potential impact on coastal and marine environments, are more likely to affect Timor-Leste than Australia.”

The Laminaria and adjacent Corallina fields have been in production since 1999. Woodside Energy Ltd is the operator of the project.

The Timor-Leste Government claims the fields have generated more than $2 billion in tax revenue paid to the Australian Government.