The spill, only officially announced over the weekend,occurred on July 30 when workers at Havana's Nico Lopez refinery failed to close oil tank valves after flushing out water.

The refinery originally said 21 tons of crude oil hadspilled into the bay, but a new state environmental agency found that nearly five Times that amount had escaped when the valves were left open for a day.

Jorge Breto, head of the state's Port-cleaning companySAMARP which is removing the oil from the sea, said progress was slow because only two suitable boats were available.

The whole operation "will take some months," Breto added incomments carried by state media.

Authorities have not said what environmental damage the oilspill may be causing.

Three workers at the Nico Lopez refinery, which has beenresponsible for other spills in the past, were fined and disciplined for their role in the accident.

Thai PTT yet to sign oil deal with Indonesia Thai PTT yet to sign oil deal with Indonesia BANGKOK, Aug 19 (Reuters) - State-run Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) has yet to finalise a counter trade deal with Indonesia but they are already comparing notes on demand for diesel and naphtha, a PTT official said on Wednesday.

Thailand's demand for naphtha for its petrochemicalindustry is around 30,000 tonnes per month while Indonesia's import demand for diesel is around 1.8 million barrels per month, the official said.

PTT sent its officials to Indonesia last week to talk toIndonesian state oil company Pertamina on the possibility of a counter trade under which Thailand would buy naphtha or crude oil from Indonesia and sell diesel in return.

"We have not reached any agreement yet. The talk was just asignal that we have the intention to trade with each other," said the official, who asked not to be identified.