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Oil spill reaches Singapore’s east coast

26 May 2010 18:10 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Oil spilled from a tanker collision offshore Singapore fouled parts of a two-mile (3.2-kilometer) stretch of the city-state’s coast, authorities said Wednesday, APA reports quoting â€œBusiness Weekâ€.
Officials have deployed oil dispersants, 15 boats, 120 personnel and 3,300 meters (10,800 feet) of containment booms in a bid to keep the oil from Singapore’s east coast, a popular beach and park area. The affected area is between a naval base and a sailing center, authorities said.
"Small patches of oil and sheen were sighted at Changi Naval Base," the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said. "Patches of oil slick have also affected part of the coastline."
About 18,000 barrels of light crude oil spilled from the Malaysian-registered tanker MT Bunga Kelana 3 after it collided with the St. Vincent’s and The Grenadines-registered bulk carrier MV Waily early Tuesday in the Singapore Strait about eight miles (13 kilometers) southeast of Singapore’s east coast.
The port authority and the National Environment Agency confirmed local press reports that east coast residents complained of a foul oil smell Tuesday.
"Some of the lighter portions of the oil could have evaporated and caused a smell that was detected by some members of the public," the port authority and environment agency said in a joint statement. It wasn’t toxic, they said.
Malaysian coast guard Commander Abdul Hadib Abdul Wahab said Tuesday that any environmental damage would be "very minimal."
The MT Bunga Kelana 3 was built in 1998 and is owned and operated by AET Tanker Holdings (AET), a subsidiary of MISC Bhd. Malaysia’s state oil and gas company Petroliam Nasional Bhd. is MISC’s biggest shareholder. MISC owns a fleet of 44 petroleum tankers.