Thai PTTEP sees Montara start-up sometime in 2010

BANGKOK, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Thailand's PTT Exploration and Production PTTE.BK (PTTEP) said on Wednesday the start-up of the Montara field in Australia might be delayed from the first quarter of 2010 to an unspecified date later in the year.

Chief Executive Anon Sirisaengtaksin told an analysts' meeting the company's financial performance would be "good" in the fourth quarter even though it had to book more expenses related to Montara, faced with an oil spill problem since late August.

Last week, Anon said operations at Montara might start in the second quarter of next year.

A PTTEP subsidiary said on Tuesday it had stopped an oil leak and doused the main fire on the Montara and West Atlas oil rig in the Timor Sea. [ID:nSYD410182] (Reporting by Pisit Changplayngam; Writing by Khettiya Jittapong; Editing by Alan Raybould)