The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore's (MPA) patrol craft MPA III (left) is seen spraying dispersant at the incident site with Oriental Pioneer (background right) on Tuesday, July 2, 2013. Two foreign bulk carriers collided at sea about 6.6km south-west of Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal on Tuesday, causing a fuel oil spill of 100 metric tonnes from a bulk carrier. -- PHOTO: MARITIME AND PORT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE
Two foreign bulk carriers collided at sea about 6.6km south-west of Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal on Tuesday, causing a fuel oil spill of 100 metric tonnes from a bulk carrier.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) received a report around 5.30 am about a collision between South Korean-registered bulk carrier Oriental Pioneer and Bahamas-registered bulk carrier, Atlantic Hero. Oriental Pioneer and Atlantic Hero are anchored in the Eastern Bunkering Anchorages.
In a statement on Tuesday, MPA said it dispatched patrol craft to handle the spill while oil spill response companies were activated to augment the patrol craft.
MPA has issued navigational broadcasts to ships, warning them to be cautious when in the vicinity of the affected site. No injuries are reported and port operations are unaffected.
Bulk carrier collision causes oil spill near Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal
Chitra Kumar Channel NewsAsia 2 Jul 13;
SINGAPORE: A collision involving two foreign registered bulk carriers caused a fuel oil spill south-west of Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal early on Tuesday morning.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said work to clean up the spilled oil is continuing.
MPA said the collision happened about 6.6 kilometres south-west of Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal at 5.30am.
The collision involved a South Korean-registered bulk carrier, Oriental Pioneer and a Bahamas-registered bulk carrier, Atlantic Hero. One of the bunker tanks of Oriental Pioneer was damaged and caused it to spill approximately 100 metric tonnes of fuel oil.
MPA has issued broadcasts to ships to navigate with caution when in the area of the incident site.
The two vessels are currently safely anchored in the Eastern Bunkering Anchorages. No report of injury and port operations remain unaffected.
MPA is investigating the cause of the collision.
- CNA/ac
Oil spill following collision between Oriental Pioneer and the Atlantic Hero
MPA media release
2 July 2013
At about 0530hrs on 2 July 2013 (Singapore time), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) received a report that a South Korean-registered bulk carrier, Oriental Pioneer, and a Bahamas-registered bulk carrier, Atlantic Hero, had collided at about 6.6km south-west of Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. One of the Oriental Pioneer's bunker tank was damaged and approximately 100 metric tonnes of fuel oil was spilled.
Upon notification, MPA immediately dispatched its patrol craft to deal with the oil spill. Oil spill response companies were also activated to augment the patrol craft. A total of 10 patrol and anti-pollution craft have been deployed to clean up the spilled oil. Work is currently continuing and MPA is co-ordinating the clean up with other government agencies and the ship owners.
The two vessels involved in the collision are currently safely anchored in the Eastern Bunkering Anchorages. MPA has issued navigational broadcasts to ships to navigate with caution when in the vicinity of the incident site. There is no report of injury and port operations remain unaffected.
Traffic in the port and the Strait of Singapore is unaffected.
MPA is investigating the cause of the collision.
For media enquiries, please call MPA's media hotline at 8366 2293.
Oil spill off Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal: MPA
Today Online 2 Jul 13;
SINGAPORE — The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has said that it has dispatched 10 patrol boats and anti-pollution craft to clean up an oil spill off the east coast today (July 2).
In a statement on its website, the MPA said that a collision occurred between South Korean-registered bulk carrier Oriental Pioneer and Bahamas-registered bulk carrier Atlantic Hero at about 5.30am, roughly 6.6km south-west of the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.
Approximately 100 metric tonnes of fuel oil was spilled, with one of the Oriental Pioneer’s bunker tanks damaged.
The MPA said that it dispatched its patrol boats and also activated oil spill response companies upon notification of the collision, and that it is coordinating the clean-up with other government agencies and the ship owners in the continuing clean-up work.
The two vessels involved in the collision are safely anchored in the Eastern Bunkering Anchorages and the cause of the collision is being investigated.
The MPA has issued navigational broadcasts to ships to navigate with caution when in the vicinity of the spill.
Traffic in the port and the Strait of Singapore is unaffected and there is no report of injury, the MPA said, adding that port operations have also remain unaffected.
Major oil spills in Singapore history
Today Online 2 Jul 13;
SINGAPORE — The largest oil spill in Singapore waters was on Oct 15, 1997, when over 28,000 tonnes was spilled following a collision between Cyprus-registered tanker Evoikos and Thai-registered crude-oil tanker Orapin Global 5km south of Pulau Sebarok, which lies between the Raffles Lighthouse and Sentosa island.
According to the Maritime and Port Authority, the operation led by the MPA and involving 16 ministries and agencies, the Singapore Armed Forces, oil terminals, salvage companies and oil spill response companies was cleaned up in a record time of three weeks.
The waters around Pulau Bukom, Pulau Senang, Pulau Pawai and Pulau Sudong looked like a sea of black coffee as a result of that spill, according to Singapore Infopedia.
The last major oil spill in Singapore waters before today was on May 25, 2010, when an estimated 2,500 tonnes of crude oil was spilled into the sea in the same area when Malaysian-registered tanker MT Bunga Kelana 3 collided with Grenadines-registered bulk carrier MV Waily off the Changi Naval Base at around 6am.
Clean-up efforts were led by the National Environment Agency. Oil patches were seen at on stretches of the coast between the naval base and the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, as well as between the National Sailing Centre and the NSRCC-Safra Resort.
Oil spill following collision between Oriental Pioneer and Atlantic Hero -Update 1
MPA media release 2 Jul 13;
Good progress has been made in containing and cleaning up the oil spill resulting from the collision between the South Korean-registered bulk carrier, Oriental Pioneer, and the Bahamas-registered bulk carrier, Atlantic Hero.
There has been no further spillage of fuel oil from Oriental Pioneer. As a precautionary measure, an oil boom and an oil spill response craft have been deployed around the vessel. Bio-degradable oil dispersants were used to break up the oil slick in the waters. As of 1700hrs, no significant patches of oil were sighted in the waters.
In total, 11 craft and some 100 personnel from MPA and oil spill response companies have been deployed as part of the containment and clean up efforts. A helicopter was also deployed to conduct aerial surveillance of the affected waters.
Vessel traffic in the Strait of Singapore and port waters remain unaffected. Port operations are also not affected.
Members of the public can contact MPA's 24-hour Marine Safety Control Centre at 6325-2488/9 to report any sighting of oil slick in our waters or coastlines.
The collision between Oriental Pioneer and Atlantic Hero occurred about 6.6km south-west of Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal at 0530hrs on 2 Jul 2013 (Singapore time). Prior to the collision, MPA's Port Operations Control Centre had provided information and issued warnings to the vessels when they were about 1.5 nautical miles (about 2.8km) apart. The ships were also in communication with each other.
MPA is investigating the cause of the collision.
Oil spill as vessels collide off Tanah Merah
Maryam Mokhtar Straits Times 3 Jul 13;
ABOUT 100 tonnes of fuel oil spilled into the waters off Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal yesterday morning when two bulk carriers collided.
No one was injured in the accident which involved the South Korean-registered Oriental Pioneer and the Atlantic Hero, a Bahamas- registered carrier.
Damage to an Oriental Pioneer bunker tank caused the spill.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement yesterday that the incident happened at 5.30am some 6.6km south-west of the terminal.
In total, 11 craft and 100 personnel from the MPA and oil-spill response companies were involved in the containment and clean-up efforts.
A helicopter conducted aerial surveillance of affected waters.
Bio-degradable oil dispersants were used to break up the oil slick. As of 5pm yesterday, no "significant patches of oil" were seen, said the MPA.
There has also been no further spillage from Oriental Pioneer, but an oil boom and oil spill response craft have been deployed around the vessel as a precautionary measure. Port operations and vessel traffic in port waters were not affected.
The MPA said it is investigating how the collision occurred even though its Port Operations Control Centre gave warnings to the vessels when they were about 2.8km apart. The vessels are currently anchored in the Eastern Bunkering Anchorages.
The National Environment Agency said the oil spill did not affect beaches and coastal areas here.
The last major oil spill here happened in May 2010, when a collision between an oil tanker and a bulk carrier caused 2,500 tonnes of crude oil to leak into the waters off the Changi coast.
Video AIS replay of the collision between the 2 bulkers Atlantic Hero and Oriental Pioneer
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