The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Thursday that 5 metric tonnes of marine fuel oil had spilled into the Strait of Singapore. However, traffic in the port and the Strait of Singapore remains unaffected.
The minor oil spill is caused by a collision between a Singapore-registered containership, Kota Tenaga, and a Malta-registered VLCC, SEEB. The collision occurred about 2.7km south of Pulau Sebarok on Wednesday night.
MPA said the spillage from Kota Tenaga was contained and Kota Tenaga was moved to Raffles Reserved Anchorage with an oil boom was laid around the vessel as a precaution.
A total of 12 craft was activated to monitor and clean up the oil spill. Non-toxic and biodegradable oil spill dispersants were used to break up patches of oil sighted in the vicinity of Pulau Pawai, Pulau Senang and Raffles Reserved Anchorage.
MPA said it is investigating the cause of the collision.
Minor oil spill in Straits of Singapore
AsiaOne 5 Jan 12;
A Singapore-registered container ship, Kota Tenaga, and a Malta-registered VLCC, SEEB collided at about 2.7km south of Pulau Sebarok yesterday, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said.
The accident occurred at about 9pm and saw about 5 metric tonnes of marine fuel oil spill into the sea.
An inter-agency effort coordinated by MPA was immediately activated to contain and clean up the oil spill.
MPA said the spillage of oil from Kota Tenaga has been contained, and Kota Tenaga has been moved to Raffles Reserved Anchorage.
An oil boom was laid around the vessel as a precaution. There were no reported injuries to crew members.
In addition, a total of 12 crafts were sent to monitor and clean up the oil spill.
Non-toxic and biodegradable oil spill dispersants were used to break up patches of oil sighted in the vicinity of Pulau Pawai, Pulau Senang and Raffles Reserved Anchorage.
MPA said it is monitoring the situation closely and will respond to any sightings of oil patches.
According to the port authority, traffic in the port and the Strait of Singapore remained unaffected.
The cause of the collision is currently under investigated.
Crash leads to minor oil spill off Singapore
Straits Times 6 Jan 11;
A SINGAPORE container ship collided with a Malta-registered ship on Wednesday night, causing about 5 tonnes of marine fuel to spill into the sea 10km off southern Singapore.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) received a report on the incident on Wednesday night.
The accident - involving Singapore-registered vessel Kota Tenaga and Malta-registered ship SEEB - occurred 2.7km south of Pulau Sebarok, which lies just south-west of Sentosa.
The crew members did not sustain any injuries, said the MPA in a statement yesterday.
It also said that the spill has been contained with the help of non-toxic and biodegradable chemical dispersants. They were used to break up the patches of oil.
Oil patches were sighted in the vicinity of Pulau Pawai, Pulau Senang and the Raffles Reserve Anchorage.
The Kota Tenaga has since been moved to the Raffles Reserve Anchorage.
An oil boom has also been laid around the vessel as a precaution.
A total of 12 craft were deployed to monitor and clean up the oil spill.
The MPA said it continues to monitor the situation closely, and will respond to any sighting of oil patches.
Meanwhile, traffic in the port and the Strait of Singapore remains unaffected.
The MPA is investigating the cause of the collision.
In May 2010, another collision involving an oil tanker and a bulk carrier in the Singapore Strait dumped about 2,500 tonnes of crude oil into the sea off the Changi coast.
It prompted a week-long closure of a 10km stretch of the eastern shoreline.
KEZIA TOH
OTHER SPILLS
May 2010: An oil slick formed in the Singapore Strait when the MT Bunga Kelana 3 crude tanker collided with the MV Waily bulk carrier. The 2,500-tonne leak was enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool. Wednesday's spill is small compared with it.
October 1997: Singapore's worst oil spill occurred when the Cyprus-flagged Evoikos collided with the Thai-registered Orapin Global, leading to a leak of more than 29,000 tonnes of oil.
Minor oil spill following collision between Kota Tenaga and SEEB in the Strait of Singapore
MPA Press Release 5 Jan 12;
At about 2100hrs on 04 Jan 2012 (Singapore time), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) received a report that a Singapore-registered containership, Kota Tenaga and a Malta-registered VLCC, SEEB had collided at about 2.7km south of Pulau Sebarok.
The master of Kota Tenaga reported that about 5 metric tonnes of marine fuel oil had spilled into the sea.��An inter-agency effort, coordinated by MPA, was immediately activated to contain and clean up the oil spill. The spillage of oil from Kota Tenaga was contained and Kota Tenaga was moved to Raffles Reserved Anchorage. An oil boom was laid around the vessel as a precaution. There is no report of injury to crew members.
A total of 12 craft was activated to monitor and clean up the oil spill. Non-toxic and biodegradable oil spill dispersants were used to break up patches of oil sighted in the vicinity of Pulau Pawai, Pulau Senang and Raffles Reserved Anchorage.
MPA continues to monitor the situation closely and will respond to any sighting of oil patches.
Traffic in the port and the Strait of Singapore remains unaffected.
MPA is investigating the cause of the collision.
ISSUED BY THE MARITIME AND PORT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE (MPA)
For clarification, please contact:
Ms Evelyn Lim
MPA media hotline: (65) 8366-2294
Email: Evelyn_Lim@mpa.gov.sg
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