Channel NewsAsia 17 Apr 18;
SINGAPORE: Two tankers collided off the coast of Singapore on Tuesday (Apr 17), causing a liquefied butane gas leak, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
The collision occurred at 2.30am about one nautical mile south of Tuas Extension in Singapore waters.
The Singapore-registered LPG tanker, Crystal Sunrise, was picking up its pilot near the designated western pilot boarding ground when it collided with the westbound Greece-registered tanker Astro Saturn.
The collision damaged the Crystal Sunrise’s ballast tank, causing its butane cargo to start leaking from one of the cargo tanks, while the Astro Saturn sustained damage to its port anchor and bow.
Though an estimated 1,796 metric tonnes of butane gas had leaked, MPA said any leaked butane, which has a high evaporation rate, would have been carried southward away from mainland Singapore, where most of it would have rapidly dissipated to below flammable levels within an hour and pose no risk to shipping.
No injuries have been reported, but eight PSA Marine staff who were in the vicinity of the collision have received medical check-ups at the National University Hospital, and all of the crew have since been discharged.
MPA is investigating the incident.
The Straits of Singapore and Malacca are one of the world’s busiest sea lanes and has seen some high-profile incidents recently such as US Navy ship John S McCain colliding with an oil tanker resulting in the deaths of 10 US sailors last August.
In September last year, five crew members died after a dredger and a tanker collided in Singapore waters.
On Monday, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's (A*STAR) Institute of High Performance Computing, Singapore Management University (SMU) and Fujitsu announced that they are in the process of developing predictive tech to prevent ship collisions.
Source: CNA/ec(hm)
Singapore-registered LPG tanker in collision off Tuas; no injuries reported
Today Online 17 Apr 18;
SINGAPORE — A Singapore-registered Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanker was involved in a collision with a Greece-registered tanker off the Tuas Extension early Tuesday morning (April 17), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said.
In a media release sent late on Tuesday night, the MPA said the Singapore-registered vessel, Crystal Sunrise, was picking up her pilot near the designated western pilot boarding ground at about 2.30am when it collided with a westbound Greece-registered tanker, Astro Saturn.
The collision took place about one nautical mile south of Tuas Extension, in Singapore waters.
"Following the collision, Crystal Sunrise sustained damage to her ballast tank... (and) the butane that (the) vessel was carrying had started to leak from one of the cargo tanks," said the MPA.
"The ship’s crew took the necessary measures and stopped the leak."
Astro Saturn sustained damages to her port anchor and bow. Both ships have been stablised, the MPA added.
No injuries were reported, but the collision saw an estimated 1,796MT of butane gas leaked from Crystal Sunrise.
"As liquefied butane has a high evaporation rate, MPA has assessed that any leaked butane would have been carried southward away from mainland Singapore, where most of it would have rapidly dissipated to below flammable levels within an hour and pose no risk to shipping," said the MPA.
As a precautionary measure, eight PSA Marine staff who were in the vicinity of the collision received medical check-ups at the National University Hospital. All of the crew have since been discharged.
MPA said it is investigating the incident.
UPDATE 1-LPG, fuel oil tankers collide off Singapore coast
Reuters 17 Apr 18;
* Collision between tankers leads to butane leak
* Leak poses no danger to shipping
* Both ships have been stabilised
* Ships chartered by Gyxis and Trafigura
* (Adds MPA statement)
By Roslan Khasawneh and Seng Li Peng
SINGAPORE, April 17 (Reuters) - Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said it is investigating a collision between two tankers in Singapore waters on Tuesday that led to a leak of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from one of the ships.
An estimated 1,796 tonnes of butane gas leaked from the LPG tanker involved but this posed no danger to shipping and measures had been taken by the ship’s crew to stop the leak, MPA said in a statement.
“As liquefied butane has a high evaporation rate, MPA has assessed that any leaked butane would have been carried southward away from mainland Singapore, where most of it would have rapidly dissipated to below flammable levels within an hour and pose no risk to shipping,” it said.
The collision was between Singapore-registered LPG tanker Crystal Sunrise, chartered by Japanese firm Gyxis, and a westbound Greece-registered tanker, Astro Saturn, chartered by European trading house Trafigura, market and shipping sources said.
“We can confirm that the Astro Saturn is on TC (time charter) to Trafigura and is carrying fuel oil,” a Trafigura spokeswoman said, without elaborating.
According to data from Thomson Reuters Eikon, Crystal Sunrise is a Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) with a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of 54,070 tonnes carrying Middle Eastern origin LPG.
Astro Saturn is an Aframax with a DWT of 105,167 tonnes and is anchored at Tanjung Pelepas in Johor, Malaysia, but close to Singapore.
According to MPA, the Crystal Sunrise was picking up her pilot near the designated western pilot boarding ground when the collision took place about one nautical mile south of Tuas Extension.
The vessel sustained damage to her ballast tank in the collision while Astro Saturn sustained damage to her port anchor and bow.
Both ships have been stabilised and no injuries were reported.
But eight staff from PSA Marine, a marine services provider, who were in the vicinity of the collision, were given medical check-ups as a precaution.
All of the crew have since been discharged, MPA said. (Reporting by Roslan Khasawneh and Seng Li Peng; Editing by Adrian Croft)
Collision between LPG tanker CRYSTAL SUNRISE and tanker ASTRO SATURN
MPA Press Release 17 April 2018
At about 2.30am on 17 April 2018, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) received a report from Singapore-registered LPG tanker, CRYSTAL SUNRISE that she had collided with a westbound Greece-registered tanker, ASTRO SATURN. CRYSTAL SUNRISE was picking up her pilot near the designated western pilot boarding ground when the collision took place about one nautical mile south of Tuas Extension, in Singapore territorial waters.
2. Following the collision, CRYSTAL SUNRISE sustained damage to her ballast tank. The master reported that the butane that vessel was carrying had started to leak from one of the cargo tanks. The ship’s crew took the necessary measures and stopped the leak. ASTRO SATURN sustained damages to her port anchor and bow. Both CRYSTAL SUNRISE and ASTRO SATURN have been stabilised.
3. An estimated 1,796MT of butane gas had leaked. As liquefied butane has a high evaporation rate, MPA has assessed that any leaked butane would have been carried southward away from mainland Singapore, where most of it would have rapidly dissipated to below flammable levels within an hour and pose no risk to shipping.
4. The two tankers reported no injuries to their crew. As a precautionary measure, eight PSA Marine staff who were in the vicinity of the collision received medical check-ups at the National University Hospital. All of the crew have since been discharged.
5. MPA is investigating the incident.
