Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on Oil Spill in Singapore Waters

Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on Oil Spill in Singapore Waters by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment

Ms Hazel Poa: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Government will be checking the structural integrity of all oil pipelines in Singapore’s waters; (b) what other measures can be taken to prevent the occurrence of future oil spills in Singapore’s waters; and (c) whether any penalties will be imposed on the company responsible for the oil leak on 20 October 2024.

Answer:

1 On 20 October 2024, 30 to 40 tonnes of slop, which is a mixture of oil and water, leaked from a pipeline belonging to Shell at Pulau Bukom. Clean-up works have been completed and there have been no other oil sightings, both at sea and ashore.

2 Investigations by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) into the incident are ongoing. It is an offence under the Environmental Protection and Management Act for any person to discharge any polluting matter into a watercourse. It is also an offence under the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea Act to discharge any oil or oily mixture into Singapore waters from any place on land or from any apparatus used for transferring oil from or to any ship.

3 Industrial facilities typically conduct regular maintenance and inspections of equipment, including oil pipelines, to reduce the risk of leaks or failures. NEA also conducts regular inspections of facilities with oil pipelines, such as refineries and petrochemical plants, to ensure compliance with environmental pollution control requirements. As part of the investigation, NEA is reviewing the measures that Shell has put in place at their facility, and whether additional measures are needed to minimise the risk of oil leaks further. As an interim measure, NEA has directed Shell to carry out a comprehensive pipeline integrity check across their Bukom plant.

4 As investigations are still on-going, it is premature to discuss whether and what enforcement measures will be taken. NEA takes a serious view on the importance of businesses and individuals fulfilling their obligations to protect our environment and we will not hesitate to take enforcement action in accordance with the law against any party found responsible for negligence or wrongdoing. After it has concluded its investigations, NEA will share relevant learning points with other industrial facilities to review and strengthen their measures and SOPs, and to perform checks on their systems where needed.

5 On other measures to minimise the risks of oil spills, the Member may refer to the earlier response by Minister of State for Transport Mr Murali Pillai to parliamentary questions on the recent oil spill incidents.