SINGAPORE: A collision between a Singapore-registered container vessel and a Gibraltar-registered container vessel off Pasir Gudang Port, Johor Malaysia on Tuesday (Jan 3) resulted in about 300 tonnes of oil spillage in the surrounding waters, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Wednesday.
In a press release, MPA said it was notified of the collision between Singapore-registered container vessel WAN HAI 301 and Gibraltar-registered container vessel APL DENVER by the Johor Port Authority (JPA) at about 11.50pm on Tuesday.
There have been no reports of injury and traffic in the East Johor Straits and Singapore’s port operations remains unaffected, the Singapore authority said.
According to MPA, APL DENVER’s ship master reported that one of the ship’s bunker tanks had sustained damage resulting in about 300 tonnes of oil spillage.
JPA has deployed four anti-pollution craft on site and an oil boom around APL DENVER to contain the oil spill.
In Singapore, some oil patches were spotted and the spillage has been contained off the western side of Pulau Ubin, MPA said, adding that it has activated eight anti-pollution craft with dispersant spraying capabilities to clean up the spilled oil.
As the tide is expected to move eastwards on Wednesday evening, oil absorbent booms to protect the mangroves and mudflats along the northeastern coasts of Pulau Ubin – including Chek Jawa Wetlands – have also been set up, said NParks.
“In addition, booms have also been set up to protect the mangroves at Coney Island Park and Pasir Ris Park,” added an NParks spokesperson.
Oil containment booms and buoys deployed at Serangoon Reservoir. (Photo: Vanessa Lim)
Responding to queries from Channel NewsAsia, PUB said oil patches were not detected in the seawaters near the coastal reservoirs, such as the Punggol, Serangoon and Lower Seletar Reservoirs. “Raw water in the reservoirs is not affected,” it said.
As a precautionary measure, PUB said oil absorbent and oil containment booms have been deployed in the sea near the tidal gates of these reservoirs to block off any possible oil residue.
MPA will be investigating the cause of the collision.
(Additional reporting by Vanessa Lim)
