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Oil spill during bunkering operations off Changi: MPA

Singapore agencies working with Shell to clean up 30 to 40 metric tonnes of ' slop' that leaked into sea

SINGAPORE: Singapore agencies said on Monday (Oct 21) they are working closely with British petrochemical company Shell to  clean up a mixture of oil and water that leaked  into the sea between Bukom Island and Bukom Kecil.

Shell had said in a media statement on Monday evening that about 30 to 40 metric tonnes of &ldquo slop&rdquo was on Sunday  leaked from its land-based pipeline into the water.

The company said it is &ldquo actively working with all relevant authorities to manage the clean-up effort&rdquo .

&ldquo The leak has stopped since around 3pm  yesterday. We have deployed containment booms, anti-pollution crafts and spraying of dispersant to contain and break up the oil as part of ongoing clean-up effort,&rdquo Shell added.

&ldquo Our priority is to ensure the safety of people and to limit environmental impact as we work on resolving this as quickly as possible. We appreciate the support and cooperation from authorities and our communities as we work diligently to minimise the impact.&rdquo

In a joint media statement on Monday evening, the agencies said that as of 3pm, there were no other oil sightings besides the leaked oil in the channel between Pulau Bukom and Bukom Kecil.

The joint statement was issued by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), National Environment Agency (NEA), National Parks Board (NParks), PUB, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), Singapore Food Agency (SFA), Singapore Land Authority (SLA), JTC, and the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

As a precautionary measure, a current buster system was deployed by the MPA off Changi at the entrance to the East Johor Strait to collect oil slick, if sighted, and prevent potential spread beyond Singapore&rsquo s port waters, according to the statement.

Another current buster system has also been deployed to the west of Singapore &ldquo as a precautionary measure&rdquo , it added.

While no oil has been observed at Sentosa, Sisters&rsquo Islands Marine Park, Labrador Nature Reserve, East Coast Park and West Coast Park so far, the agencies have pre-emptively deployed oil absorbent booms at these locations.

This includes the lagoons at Sisters&rsquo Islands Marine Park, Berlayer Creek and the Rocky Shore at Labrador Nature Reserve, as well as the mangroves and other key areas at the Marsh Garden at West Coast Park, as well as key areas at East Coast Park.

The lock gates of Sentosa Cove have been closed, with oil absorbent booms deployed.

&ldquo Additionally, deflective booms will be progressively deployed across the key areas of Sentosa, including the three beaches which currently remain open for land-based and waters activities.&rdquo

The agencies also said there has been no oil sightings at Kusu, Seringat, St John&rsquo s, Lazarus island, and Pulau Hantu.

&ldquo Singapore Land Authority will continue to assess if oil-absorbent booms will be required at the lagoons of these islands,&rdquo the statement read.

NEA on Monday has also advised members of the public against swimming and other primary contact water activities at the beaches of East Coast Park, Kusu, St John&rsquo s and Lazarus islands as a " precautionary measure" .

No oil has been detected near the Jurong Island Desalination Plant and Marina East Desalination Plant, which are located nearest to the oil leak location. National water agency PUB is closely monitoring the seawater intake at its desalination plants.

&ldquo Seawater quality readings remain normal, and the plants&rsquo operations are not affected. As a precautionary measure, PUB has also deployed oil containment booms across Marina Barrage,&rdquo the statement said.

JTC has advised companies on Jurong Island and waterfront-facing companies in the western region to be on alert and to take precautionary measures as necessary.

No fish farms have been affected by the oil spill thus far. SFA is in contact with farmers and has advised them to continue to be vigilant and to take precautionary measures as necessary.

&ldquo We have informed the Indonesian and Malaysian authorities of the incident and advised them to look out for any oil sightings along their respective coastlines,&rdquo the joint statement read.

&ldquo Investigations into the incident are currently ongoing.&rdquo

In a Facebook post on Monday evening,  Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said the ministry and its  statutory boards are working closely with relevant agencies to ensure public health and safety.

" We will continue to monitor the situation and share updates as needed," Ms Fu said.

MPA  said on Sunday it  was alerted to oil leakage from a Shell land-based pipeline between Bukom Island and Bukom Kecil at about 1pm.

The leak occurred at around 5.30am and " was reported to have stopped at source" , it added.