Bukom oil leak: Authorities investigating why it took 7½ hours for Shell to raise alert

SINGAPORE – There was a 7½-hour gap between the discovery of an oil leak and the authorities being alerted to the incident, and this delay is under investigation, said Minister of State for Transport Murali Pillai in Parliament on Nov 11.

About 30 to 40 tonnes of oil and water 

leaked into the waters between Bukom Island and Bukom Kecil

from a land-based pipeline, starting from around 5.30am on Oct 20. British petrochemical company Shell notified the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) at about 1pm on the same day. Clean-up operations were completed on Oct 29.

Responding to questions on recent oil spills in Singapore’s waters, Mr Murali added that according to standard protocol, Shell was supposed to inform MPA and the National Environment Agency (NEA) as soon as possible when it detected the leak.

“If there are lapses by Shell, the agencies will take the necessary enforcement actions against the company,” he said.

In an answer to frequently asked questions on the oil spill, which was posted on its website, Shell said the oil leak was initially contained on land, but it informed MPA “as soon as practicable” when it detected oil leaking into the sea.

Shell told The Straits Times on Nov 11 that it will continue to cooperate and work closely with the authorities on the matter. “We are fully committed to maintaining the rigorous safety standards and compliance with regulatory requirements,” its spokesperson added.

There were two other oil spill incidents in Singapore’s waters in the last five months. One was caused by an allision between a dredging boat and a bunker tanker at Pasir Panjang Terminal. It

led to the discharge of about 400 tonnes of oil on June 14.

A few days after the Shell oil leak,

another oil spill took place off Changi on Oct 28.

Five tonnes of oil flowed into the sea during a bunkering operation between a Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier and a bunker tanker.

Mr Murali was responding to two questions on the impact of the recent oil spills on the marine ecosystem, the need for a review of oil sighting and alerting practices, the division of costs and responsibilities across government agencies, and mitigation measures to prevent and handle future oil spills.

On the environmental impact, he said the authorities have not observed any immediate impact on Singapore’s marine and coastal ecosystems and wildlife, as well as fisheries. Mr Murali said oil from the two incidents in October did not affect recreational beaches.

National water agency PUB is also monitoring seawater intake at its desalination plants and readings remain normal, he added.

Mr Murali also noted that there have been no other oil sightings at sea and on shore arising from these incidents.

Responding to another question on the structural integrity of oil pipelines, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor said NEA is reviewing the maintenance and inspection measures at Shell’s facility, and will evaluate if additional measures are needed to further minimise the risk of oil leaks.

Dr Khor added that in the meantime, NEA has directed Shell to complete a comprehensive pipeline integrity check at its Bukom plant.

Asked by Non-Constituency MP Hazel Poa about the frequency of inspections at industrial facilities, Dr Khor said industrial facilities themselves are responsible for conducting regular maintenance and checks on equipment, in addition to NEA’s regular checks on facilities with oil pipelines throughout the year.

Responding to a question from Mr Dennis Tan (Hougang) on how MPA ensures that these checks are being carried out, Mr Murali said MPA will work with industry players and relevant government agencies to ensure minimal risks from oil spills caused by both land-based facilities and incidents in the water.

Noting that there is a system in place to detect and respond to oil spills, Mr Murali said responsible parties are required to immediately inform MPA and NEA.

Following that, MPA has a surveillance system that can identify and monitor oil sightings, including regular patrols by MPA patrol craft, industry partners and aerial drone flights. At the same time, MPA also notifies agencies to be on standby to deploy resources for clean-up operations and the prevention of further pollution.

Additionally, oil handling facilities in Singapore need to have containment booms, oil skimmers and dispersants on hand, as they may be called upon to use these resources to facilitate oil spill clean-up operations.

Asked by Mr Tan whether response times to oil spills can be improved, Mr Murali said it is important to note that every oil spill incident is different, given external factors such as tidal and current conditions, location and time of the incident, so multi-agency contingency plans would need to be tailored to each incident.

He added that the authorities are carefully assessing proposals including the preparation of more equipment, moving equipment closer to the port, and mandating that bunker vessels carry oil spill response equipment. These are being assessed to determine if they affect the navigational safety, efficiency and competitiveness of Singapore’s port.

It may not be practicable to have multiple sets of equipments located close to any potential incident site along the entire coastline, said Mr Murali.

He also noted that it may not be practical or feasible for all vessels to carry their own booms, as these may be costly.

Giving an update on the June 14 oil spill incident, Mr Murali said agencies are consolidating their compensation claims under the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds.

Investigations have also been completed, with four crewmen on the Netherlands-flagged dredger having been

charged with failing to perform their duties properly.

But investigations into the incidents on Oct 20 and 28 are still ongoing, so the authorities are unable to provide more details, he added.

On the lessons learnt from past incidents, Mr Murali said the industry’s contingency plans take learning points from regular oil spill and chemical exercises, as well as experiences from these incidents, which have helped to strengthen communication and coordination across various agencies and with the public.

He added that random spot checks are being done to ensure that bunkering players follow standard procedures, and complete mandatory safety training as well as shipboard drills.

Noting that it is important for every company or individual involved to play their part and follow requirements, Mr Murali said: “We will hold parties accountable for any lapses or wrongdoing which may surface during the investigations.”