Dredger had sudden loss of engine, steering control before hitting ship

Dispersants, oil skimmers among methods used to ease impact of spillage from vessel

- Raul Dancel

The dredging boat that hit a bunker vessel at Pasir Panjang Terminal suffered a sudden loss of engine and steering control, Singapore agencies leading the charge in an oil spill clean-up operation said in a joint statement on June 16.

The June 14 incident involved the Netherlands-flagged dredging boat Vox Maxima and the Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour.

The impact created a rupture in one of the oil tanks of Marine Honour, which caused oil to leak into the sea.

“Its contents of low-sulphur fuel oil were released to the sea,” the authorities said.

The latest update was released by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), National Environment Agency (NEA), National Parks Board (NParks) and Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC).

In response, MPA sent patrol craft to spray dispersants on the oil spill and activated its oil spill response contractor.

An oil skimmer was also used to reduce the spill’s impact, and booms were laid around the affected vessels as an added precaution.

MPA told The Straits Times that half – or 400 tonnes – of the bunker vessel’s fuel leaked into the sea instantly, while the other half was contained and the authority ensured there were no further leaks from the vessel.

“Due to the tidal currents, parts of the oil spillage have landed along the southern shorelines, including Sentosa, Labrador Nature Reserve, Southern Islands, Marina South Pier and East Coast Park,” the statement said.