OIL giant Shell has temporarily shut down an oil-processing unit at Pulau Bukom to investigate a suspected leak in the system.
The affected unit, which produces refined oil products such as diesel, leaked a few tonnes of oil mixed with cooling water discharge, estimated Shell.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the National Environment Agency were informed of the shutdown and are jointly monitoring the situation, the agencies said in a joint statement with the National Parks Board and Sentosa Development Corporation on Friday (Dec 27).
Containment measures have been activated, including the deployment of absorbent booms, dispersants, and an oil-skimmer system.
Boats have also been deployed by MPA and Shell to clean up “light oil sheens” observed off Pulau Bukom. “No oil patches are currently observed in the vicinity of Pulau Bukom,” the agencies said.
They noted that satellites and drones are being used for surveillance. As a precaution, oil absorbent booms will be placed at Sisters’ Islands Marine Park and Sentosa beaches.
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Navigational traffic in the area and bunkering operations at the Port of Singapore remain unaffected, the authorities added.
There have been at least three other oil spill incidents in Singapore’s waters over the past six months – one of which also involved Shell.
On Oct 28, an oil spill occurred off Changi during a bunkering operation between a Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier and a licensed bunker tanker.
Earlier, on Oct 20, around 30 to 40 tonnes of oil and water leaked into the waters between Bukom Island and Bukom Kecil from a land-based Shell pipeline.
In June, a collision between a dredging boat and a bunker tanker at Pasir Panjang Terminal resulted in the discharge of about 400 tonnes of oil.
