Singapore Oil Spill Clean-Up Ahead of Schedule
Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) has announced that Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong Beach will reopen for swimming and all sea activities in August, with Siloso Beach being the first to reopen, with immediate effect after an extensive oil spill cleanup operation.
The milestone comes one and a half months after the oil spill on June 14, 2024, when the Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima struck a stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour, causing a rupture of one its oil cargo tanks which released the low-sulphur fuel oil to the sea.
SDC coordinated the cleanup effort involving over 300 trained workers. The concerted efforts and comprehensive response towards the oil spill led to an early completion and reopening of Siloso Beach in one and a half months instead of the expected three months.
The oil spill response process was carried out in phases and included a comprehensive approach to contain and manage the resulting environmental impact. Immediately after the spill, containment booms were deployed to minimise the spread of oil from the open sea into sensitive lagoon areas.
This was critical in controlling the scale of contamination, while the oil skimmer machines were mobilised to remove oil from the surface of the water. Absorbent booms were also deployed at the shoreline to soak up remnant oil slick that could not be skimmed. The collected oil was then safely disposed of to prevent further environmental damage.
Specialised teams took part in the meticulous removal of contaminated sand, with care to minimise sand removal to preserve the natural landscape. To facilitate the cleanup at hard-to-reach areas such as rock bunds, pontoons and jetties, a tailored approach of high-pressure jetting with low volume flushing techniques was employed alongside strategically placed containment booms around these structures to capture the dislodged oil.
As part of the final phase of the cleanup, detailed subsurface oil surveys were conducted at both high and low tide marks to ensure that hidden pockets of oil were effectively addressed while sunken oil surveys for the seabed were carried out to identify and remove oil deposits from the seabed, ensuring a thorough cleanup.
Palawan Beach and Tanjong Beach are in the final phase of cleanup with operations targeted to be completed by mid-August.