Singapore authorities on Monday (24 June) said the removal of bulk oil from the sea and beaches is nearly completed and will move on to the next stage of the clean-up response. 

An oil spill occurred on 14 June after Netherlands-registered dredger Vox Maxima hit stationary bunker vessel Marine Honour causing fuel from the bunker vessel’s cargo tank to spill into Singapore waters. 

In a joint statement by authorities including Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), they said there has been no observed oil slick along the East Coast and Changi since 18 June based on both satellite and drone images. 

The bulk of oil-soaked sand has been removed from most of the affected public beaches, with the exception of Tanjong and Palawan beach at Sentosa. To date, about 550 tonnes of oil-soaked sand and debris have been collected from all affected beaches.

“We are moving to the next phase of the clean-up response, which is focused on the more difficult clean-up of oil remnants trapped in areas such as coastal features, waterside infrastructures and rock bunds. These areas are not as easily accessible, and oil could be trapped in crevices and below beach surfaces that require significant effort to clean,” they said. 

“This new phase will involve specialised resources and equipment. This cleaning will be done carefully, considering the conditions at each site, such as wind, tide and currents, to minimise the oil on the rock bunds from re-polluting the coastline, beaches, and biodiversity-sensitive areas.”

“We are working with the oil spill consultants to deploy the most effective methods for cleaning while minimising cleaning contamination to surrounding areas.”

For the more heavily impacted areas, including Sentosa’s Tanjong and Palawan beaches, the specialised clean-up operations are expected to take around three months, based on our preliminary estimates.

For the more lightly impacted areas at Sentosa Siloso beach and certain stretches of East Coast Park, this clean-up is expected to be completed earlier. The rock bund cleaning at Siloso beach has commenced since 21 June and the Singapore Civil Defence Force has deployed a Rapid Response Fire Vessel at the affected area to support the cleaning operation. The rock bund cleaning at selected rock bunds at East Coast Park beaches will commence this week and we are working towards the progressive reopening of certain stretches earlier as well. All the beaches on Sentosa remain open.

For biodiversity-sensitive sites, ongoing efforts are underway to monitor longer term impacts to biodiversity.

Even after a beach has been cleaned and re-opened, swimming and water activities can resume only after water quality has gone back to normal and is stable. 

The Government is also closely monitoring the impact of the oil spill on related businesses and affected residents as the situation continues to evolve.

Sentosa Cove is less severely affected, as lockgates were closed promptly, supplemented by absorbent booms since 15 June 2024. Currently, vessel movements within Sentosa Cove have been halted and these efforts have been made to minimise the impact on Cove waterways and canals within residential areas, while awaiting oil deposits on seaward rock bunds to be cleaned. Vessel movements would be allowed to resume when lockgates are safe to open.

MPA will also start to transfer remaining oil left on board bunker vessel Marine Honour, which was hit and damaged during the 14 June incident. 

The damaged Marine Honour which spilled the oil on 14 June is currently anchored off the western petroleum anchorage. 

“The remaining fuel oil onboard from the ruptured cargo tank and its full contents onboard the vessel must be emptied before it can be towed into the shipyard for its repair,” the authorities said.

“Aside from the containment booms laid around the vessel, a 35-tonnes oil load Current Buster system is on station to respond to any potential leaks in the lightering process to transfer the MARINE HONOUR oil to another vessel.”

Note: The full statement by Singapore authorities can be found here. 

Related: Malaysia to look into demands of Johor fisherman affected by oil spill from Singapore
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Related: Singapore: Allision between dredger and bunker tanker was not caused by port congestion, says Transport Minister
Related: Singapore: Oil spill cleanup after allision between dredger “Vox Maxima” and bunker tanker “Marine Honour”

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 25 June, 2024