Singapore: The Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore has insisted that the oil spill from Friday’s collision between a bulker and a tanker is not as bad as first feared.
Following the collision between Libyan-registered oil tanker "Alyarmouk" and Singapore-registered bulk carrier "Sinar Kapuas" reported at about 0600hrs on 2 January, there have been no further reports of oil leakage from "Alyarmouk". Both vessels are in stable condition and anchored safely, northeast of Pedra Branca, MPA said in a release today.
Four vessels equipped with dispersants, oil booms and skimmers were deployed to the site to contain the oil spill. Non-toxic and bio-degradable dispersants were used to break up the oil into smaller globules.
MPA has also linked up with International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) for its technical expertise to assess the nature of the spill. Satellite imagery obtained on 4 January did not show any of the spilled oil headed towards Bintan. Aerial surveillance by ITOPF on the same day also did not show any spilled oil in the vicinity of Bintan.
MPA has been monitoring for sightings of the movement of the oil patches, including conducting daily aerial surveillance when possible. MPA will also continue to poll vessels operating in the region on whether they have spotted any oil patches. One report of a possible sighting of an oil patch off the coast of Tanjong Berakit, northeast of Bintan, was reported to the Indonesian authorities for their investigation. [06/01/15]
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