The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has reported that the northern half of the Pasir Panjang Container Terminal (PPT) has been cleansed of oil slicks.
The oil had been cleansed after the deployment of the Current Buster, an oil recovery and containment device.
According to MPA, high-pressure jets are currently being used to clean the oil-stained Berth 36 at the collision site thoroughly.
MPA noted that the deployment of the Current Buster at this upstream location is critical to prevent surface oil from flowing westward into West Coast Park, which has been unaffected thus far, as well as eastward into downstream locations such as Sentosa beaches, Sentosa Cove, Southern Islands, and Keppel Marina.
The MPA and Meteorological Service’s forecast models of tide and wind conditions, as well as drone and satellite photos, lead offshore oil recovery operations.
Three Current Buster systems have been installed. Two devices capable of recovering five tonnes of oil per load have been deployed off the western impacted regions of PPT and Sentosa.
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The other device, capable of carrying 35 tonnes, is deployed off the eastern impacted regions of the East Coast and Changi East as a precaution to retrieve any oil and avoid further spread. Another 35-tonne-load Current Buster system will be implemented soon.
The total length of booms deployed since 14 June is 3,400 metres. This exceeds the original plan of approximately 3,100 metres.
Singaporean officials are reportedly in contact with their Malaysian colleagues to coordinate measures to address any additional effects of the oil leak.
Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia are members of the Revolving Fund Committee, which allows the three littoral governments to seek and contribute funding for oil spills and clean-up activities in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.
In April, MPA, the Port of Los Angeles, and the Port of Long Beach concluded a detailed baseline research.
