Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported that Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) was investigating reports of oil off three southern locations; the authority said navigation and port operations were unaffected.
According to CNA, MPA was alerted at about 10:25 p.m. EDT Oct. 31 (02:25 UTC Nov. 1; 10:25 a.m. Singapore time Nov. 1) to oil near Pulau Sebarok. The outlet also reported sightings off Pulau Semakau and Selat Pauh, and said aerial surveillance later confirmed several patches.
MPA mobilized oil-spill contractors and instructed nearby terminals to deploy response resources. It also alerted agencies to prepare shoreline precautions if needed and asked ships in port to report sightings, CNA reported. Checks from the air showed no oil by East Coast and Sentosa, or at West Coast and the Southern Islands, the outlet said.
The authority said monitoring, spill-control measures and cleanup remained underway while it investigated the source, CNA reported.
A separate spill in June 2024 followed an allision between the dredger Vox Maxima and bunker vessel Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal. The Ministry of Transport put the amount that reached the sea at about 400 tonnes, while MPA reported oil on southern shorelines, including Sentosa and the Southern Islands. No connection between that incident and the newly reported patches has been established.
