Singapore reports oil spill from Shell pipeline.
An oil pipeline belonging to British giant Shell began leaking into the sea today, Singaporean authorities said, adding that the spill was stopped and clean-up crews deployed.
The spill started early this morning on a pipeline running between two islands, Bukom and Bukom Kecil, Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement.
The leak was reported to have stopped at source,
the MPA said.
Shell has placed containment booms off the site of the leak and has also deployed craft equipped with dispersants to clean up the oil sighted in the vicinity of the leak.
The authority said it also dispatched equipment and a team to help clear the fuel slick, and activated drones and satellite capabilities to monitor the spill.
Relevant government agencies have been alerted and to report any oil sightings,
it said, adding there had been
no new oil sightings
as of this evening.
Shell operates a major oil refinery on Bukom.
The company could not immediately be reached for comment this evening.
The MPA said it has issued
navigational safety broadcasts to ask passing vessels to keep clear of the site
although there is no impact to navigation safety
.
In June, Singapore closed beaches on the resort island of Sentosa after an oil spill caused by an accident at the Pasir Panjang port between a dredger and a stationary bunker vessel.
Clean-up of the affected beaches was completed last month.
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