Headline PH: Oil from collision spotted on Singapore coast

SINGAPORE (AFP) – Patches of crude oil that leaked from a tanker damaged in a collision off Singapore were spotted along the city's east coast on Wednesday, as emergency crews worked to stop the slick spreading.

Oil patches were sighted around a naval base, ferry terminal, sailing centre and resort near Changi Airport, and environmental crews were sent to handle the situation, the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said.

Local radio station 938 Live reported from the scene that a "dark chocolaty" substance was visible on the water.

"Containment and cleanup efforts in the sea off Changi East are still ongoing, with 19 craft deployed," the MPA said.

The Malaysian-registered tanker MT Bunga Kelana 3 was carrying nearly 62,000 tonnes of crude when it collided Tuesday with the MV Waily, a bulk carrier registered in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

A spokeswoman for the tanker's operator, Malaysia-based petroleum shipper AET, told AFP the leaked crude was "more or less contained" at sea after being surrounded by booms installed overnight by emergency-response vessels.

About 2,500 tonnes of crude leaked from a gash on the double-hulled tanker's port side, port officials said.

Double-hulled tankers are designed to limit spillage in case of a rupture.

In a statement, AET said "the incident caused significant damage to the vessel's hull and resulted in a spill of Bintulu light crude oil that is now being cleaned up by specialists using a small armada of boats."

by Philip Lim
AFP

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Oil from collision spotted on Singapore coast

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