On Thursday (26 Dec), oil sheens were spotted along a wharf in Pulau Bukom, where the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park is located.
Suspecting a leak, Shell has shut down one of its oil processing units, the company said in a media release on Friday (27 Dec).
Source: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore – MPA on Facebook
Shell estimated that a few tonnes of refined oil products had leaked into the water, together with cooling water discharge, in the suspected leak.
The company is investigating how much product has leaked into the sea and the exact composition of the oil.
Shell is also “actively working” with the relevant authorities to manage the clean-up effort, deploying various containment and clean-up measures.
They include laying absorbent and containment booms, spraying dispersants in the water and activating an in-built oil skimmer system.
Source: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore – MPA on Facebook
Boats were also deployed to clean up the oil sheens using both dispersants and absorbent booms, as well as drones for surveillance.
So far, there have been no oil patches observed around Pulau Bukom.
Source: Shell
The relevant agencies are closely monitoring the situation, according to a joint statement from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), National Environment Agency (NEA), National Parks Board and Sentosa Development Corporation.
The statement stressed that navigational traffic in the area is not affected, and there is no impact on bunkering operations in the Port of Singapore.
However, oil-absorbent booms will be laid at Sisters’ Islands Marine Park and the beaches on Sentosa as a precaution.
MPA and NEA are working together to investigate the incident, and they “will not hesitate to take enforcement action if any wrongdoing or lapse is discovered”.
The suspected oil leak in Pulau Bukom is the fourth oil-related incident in Singapore’s waters this year.
In June, a massive oil spill occurred after an allision between two vessels at Pasir Panjang Terminal.
The incident caused beaches in Sentosa and East Coast Park to be closed for months, with the clean-up completed in September.
About 30 to 40 metric tonnes of “slop” — a mixture of oil and water — leaked into the water, with the clean-up completed nine days later.
The oil was cleared up by the next morning, MPA said.
Also read: Clean-up efforts: How NEA is clearing oil-soaked sand from East Coast Park beaches after oil spill
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Featured image adapted from Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore – MPA on Facebook.
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