MPA holds oil spill exercise four months after Pasir Panjang incident

SINGAPORE – An oil spill exercise took place in the waters off Pasir Panjang Terminal on Oct 11, nearly four months after an oil spill at the port polluted beaches around Singapore and triggered extensive clean-up operations.

More than 100 officials from 18 government agencies and companies took part in the exercise organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

Emergency responses were activated by terminal operators on Jurong Island and Pulau Bukom, which sent their boats, equipped with oil-dispersal spray systems, out to sea to spray dispersants – chemicals that break up oil. MPA also had several craft that sprayed dispersants patrolling the area.

Such exercises, which also involve discussions and people being assigned roles during an oil spill, have been held every two years since 1998.

The exercises are meant to test the coordination between the Government and the industry and their response to oil spills in Singapore, said MPA.

At the Oct 11 exercise, several industry operators also laid out floating barriers, known as protective booms, to control the spread of oil and facilitate clean-up operations.

Representatives from nature and community groups were invited to observe the exercise out at sea.

The

oil spill on June 14

was caused by an allision between the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima and Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal. About 400 tonnes of fuel leaked into the sea after the incident.

The oil

spread to the coastlines of East Coast Park, Labrador Nature Reserve, Keppel Bay, the Southern Islands and Sentosa.

Water activities at affected beaches had to be suspended for more than two months as the areas were being cleaned.

MPA did not respond to a question from The Straits Times on whether the incident in June affected how the exercise was carried out on Oct 11.

Separately, MPA said it is exploring new technologies that can help deal with oil spills. The authority gave the example of hyperspectral cameras, which have the potential to detect oil slicks below the water surface.

By analysing different materials’ unique light reflection or absorption patterns, these cameras can help detect oil floating beneath the water’s surface and possibly allow detection of spills even at night, added MPA.

Conventional cameras being used currently, also known as electro-optical cameras, often require clear daylight conditions to detect oil at sea and can be hampered by the sun’s glare. Hyperspectral cameras can overcome these challenges.

A day before the exercise, MPA tested new technologies to deal with oil spills.

These included a laser cleaning machine that uses intense light beams to break down and vaporise oil stains. It can complement the use of high-pressure water jets on canal walls and rock bunds, where cleaning has to be more precise.

An oil recovery robot that can separate oil from water in shallow waters was also tested on Oct 10. It can be used at marinas and canals, which are not easily accessible by conventional oil skimmers.