SINGAPORE – Oil patches were spotted in Singapore’s southern waters off Pulau Sebarok, Pulau Semakau and Selat Pauh, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), adding that the authorities are investigating the source of the oil.
In a statement on Nov 1, MPA said it was alerted to a sighting of oil in the waters off Pulau Sebarok at about 10.25am on Nov 1.
Aerial surveillance by MPA then confirmed several patches of oil off Pulau Sebarok, Pulau Semakau and Selat Pauh.
There were no sightings of oil patches near West Coast, Sentosa, Southern Islands and East Coast, added MPA.
MPA said it has activated its oil spill response contractors, and terminals in the area have been directed to deploy their spill response resources.
The relevant agencies have also been alerted to take precautionary measures to protect the shorelines, if needed.
Ships that have arrived in Singapore have also been alerted to report any sightings of oil patches, said MPA.
It added that there is no impact to navigational traffic and port operations.
“MPA is continuing with surveillance, working with agencies and terminals to mitigate and clean up the oil patches, and investigating the source of the oil,” said MPA.
Pulau Semakau houses Singapore’s only active landfill and is about 8km south of the mainland. The narrow Selat Pauh sea channel is located nearby.
Roughly 3km away from Pulau Semakau is Pulau Sebarok, which serves as a major oil storage and terminalling hub.
In 2024, a collision between two vessels near Pasir Panjang Terminal led to the leakage of 400 tonnes of oil, with oil slick sightings on several beaches, including Labrador Nature Reserve, Sentosa and East Coast Park. It was Singapore’s worst oil spill in a decade.