MPA Tests Joint Oil Spill Response Procedure

The multi-agency joint oil spill exercise was conducted today as part of an on-going effort to ensure our ports remain safe, secure and clean for the international shipping community. Code-named JOSE 2016, the exercise was organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) as part of the closing programme for the 19th Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON) 2016. Close to 80 delegates from SIBCON 2016 observed the oil and chemical spill exercise today.

The ground deployment exercise will test the use of a new modern and efficient system, ‘NeatSweep’ to contain the spilled oil.  Over 250 personnel from 28 agencies participated in the table top and seaward exercise that took place around the vicinity of Raffles Reserved Anchorage. (See Annex A for list of participating agencies)

The exercise scenario involved a simulated collision off Raffles Lighthouse between an arriving Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) carrying about 110,000 metric tons of Kuwait Crude Oil and a transiting tanker in the west-bound lane of the Singapore Strait. The arriving VLCC sustained damages to two cargo oil tanks, spilling approximately 10,000 metric tons of oil. Two of the crew members on-board the VLCC were injured and required immediate evacuation for medical treatment.

JOSE 2016 comprised a full-scale ground deployment and incident management exercise held to showcase multi-agency response capabilities. The exercise also serves as a platform for stakeholders to discuss and deliberate operational and policy issues to combat a major oil spill in Singapore.

Mr Andrew Tan, MPA's Chief Executive, said, "The need to protect and minimise impacts of oil spills in our waters together with our partner agencies and stakeholders is an important component of our holistic safety programme. Multi-agency efforts to conduct regular joint oil spill exercises will be on-going to test and improve our spill response strategies and technologies for use in different scenarios. Today, we are happy to have ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd support the Joint Oil Spill Exercise. We are pleased that together, we have demonstrated that we have a well-coordinated and competent team ready to take on the challenges.”