Jakarta, Aug. 7 -- Indonesia will send a research team to assess environmental damage in East Nusa Tenggara caused by the Montara oil spill, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said Friday, as Jakarta seeks long-term recovery for affected coastal communities.

The assessment aims to formulate comprehensive restoration measures following the spill, triggered by a 2009 wellhead blowout in the Timor Sea off northern Australia at a facility operated by a subsidiary of Thailand's state-owned PTT Group.

"Beyond compensation, the priority is restoring the region to its original condition. We will deploy a research team to identify the recovery measures needed," Sadewa said during a visit to East Nusa Tenggara, according to an official stateme...