Singapore’s Joint Oil Spill Clean-Up Ops Enter Next Phase

The authorities in Singapore have started the next phase of an oil spill clean-up operation, caused by the allision of a dredger and a bunker vessel, with the additional deployment of various booms and oil recovery systems.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said that 1500 meters of booms have been deployed, and an additional 1600 meters will be deployed over the next few days in designated sites to support the containment of accumulated oil to facilitate the clean-up operation off the beaches and shorelines.

Additional booms will also be deployed as a preventive measure off Changi East. Seven oil recovery assets have been deployed today to skim and collect the remaining oil spillage off the water surface to minimize further spread of the oil.

The authorities in Singapore have launched an oil spill clean-up operation after 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

Some of the oil has been seen off Changi, MPA reported. Oil absorbent booms have been deployed off biodiversity-sensitive areas at Chek Jawa Wetlands at Pulau Ubin, Coney Island Park, and Pasir Ris Park as preventive measures.

While West Coast Park is not affected, oil absorbent booms have already been deployed at the park to protect the mangroves at the Marsh Garden.

Over the next few days, additional containment and absorbent booms will be deployed to protect the fish farms at the East Johor Straits and also Chek Jawa Wetlands and Changi Creek. A Current Buster system, a specialized oil floating containment and recovery device deployed from vessels will be deployed on 18 June off the Changi Exhibition Centre as a pre-emptive measure.

Each system consists of a boom with a skirt that extends below the water surface to corral and collect the oil on the water surface.

PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency has updated that operations at Singapore’s desalination plants and freshwater reservoirs remain unaffected.

Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) has deployed two Current Buster systems. One of the Current Buster systems is deployed off Labrador Nature Reserve to collect the weathered oil.

Weathered oil refers to oil that has undergone changes due to exposure to the environment over time, which affects its appearance and chemical com

The other system is deployed off Bedok Jetty. The Current Buster is capable of collecting up to five tonnes of oil in one craft-load before discharging.

Two sets of skimmer-systems operated by T&T Salvage and Singapore Salvage Engineers Pte have also been deployed. The system includes the craft-towed booms to corral the surface oil and a skimmer to skim and “lift” the oil off the water surface into storage tanks. A skimmer system is deployed at Marina South Pier while another is deployed off East Coast Lagoon.

MPA also reported that good progress is also being made with the clean-up operations at the beaches and shorelines.