30-12-2024 (SINGAPORE) A recent oil leak incident at Shell’s Pulau Bukom refinery has been successfully contained and cleaned up, according to Singapore authorities in a joint statement released Saturday.
The leak, which occurred due to a suspected fault in an oil processing unit, resulted in the discharge of several tonnes of refined oil products mixed with cooling water. Shell first detected the incident on the morning of 26 December and subsequently notified relevant authorities.
Swift action was taken to contain the spillage, with immediate deployment of oil-absorbent booms and dispersants at the discharge channel. As a precautionary measure, additional containment booms were installed around Sisters’ Islands Marine Park and Sentosa.
In their joint statement, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), National Environment Agency (NEA), National Parks Board (NParks), and Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) confirmed that initial assessments indicated the oil sheens were minor in scale and posed no risk to public safety or environmentally sensitive areas.
The petroleum giant halted operations at the affected processing unit on 27 December, effectively preventing further discharge into the cooling water channel. Following Shell’s request for assistance, the MPA deployed three additional patrol craft to accelerate clean-up operations.
By 28 December, authorities confirmed the absence of visible oil sheens or patches in the waters surrounding Pulau Bukom and Sentosa. Notably, Sentosa’s beaches remained accessible for water activities throughout the incident.
Both the NEA and MPA have launched investigations into the incident, with authorities stating that appropriate action will be taken should any lapses or wrongdoing be discovered during the probe.
Shell has committed to full cooperation with the authorities and issued a separate statement emphasising their dedication to learning from the incident to enhance safety protocols. “We continue to cooperate with the authorities on the investigations, and learn from this incident to improve our safety performance,” the company stated.