The view from the recently-built belvedere in the Ħagar Qim and Wied iż-Żurrieq area has seen a new addition: an oil rig sitting pretty between Wied iż-Żurrieq and Filfla.

The rig, Energy Exerter, has been berthed in what is known as the Ħamrija Bank area since mid-August, when it arrived from Greece. It is awaiting orders from the company operating it but in the present economic crisis this might mean a little more than a short stay.

Many have complained about it being an unsightly addition to the picturesque coastline of Wied iż-Żurrieq - a popular spot with tourists - but the local shipping company responsible for its sojourn insists its stay here is spilling a lot of money into the economy. Moreover, there are no alternatives to where it has been placed.

Cassar & Cooper director Michael Cooper said: "We spent two months and €60,000 scanning the seabed around our shores in collaboration with the Malta Maritime Authority and the only suitable place we found was at Ħamrija Bank. It's also not the first time that rigs have been parked here".

The reason is that the rig is a jack-up, meaning that anywhere with a depth exceeding 50 metres would have been unsuitable for berthing and that includes nearby areas along the Żurrieq coast, where other floating oil rigs are usually placed. Maintenance work was being carried out on the rig and the longer it remained the more money was spent in Malta, Mr Cooper said, pointing out that this was good business that Malta had the potential to attract.

He dismissed the idea that the rig might be an eyesore, ruining the view from a popular tourist spot. "The rig belongs there, it's part of the sea, it lives in the sea. I'm sure that if you go to Wied iż-Żurrieq and ask the tourists what they think, they won't say it's an eyesore."

In fact, the tourists, at least some, do not share his view. An Italian couple visiting Mnajdra temples called it "una porcheria" (disgusting) saying it was out of place, so close to an archaeological park. The sentiment was shared by a London couple and an American tourist, who said it was "a shame" and "inappropriate" to have something of the sort over there. Steve Pace, a resident of Qrendi, said that, even though he did not like it, he understood why it had to be there.

Fishermen also seem to be enjoying the fish the rig has attracted.

Asked about the length of the rig's stay, Mr Cooper said: "It doesn't matter how long it stays. As far as you're concerned, the longer it stays the better. How else are you going to get your free University education, your free healthcare, your subsidised public transport? The rig is pumping money into our economy".