Boxship spill: two fuel patches spotted

Skimmers and booms placed off Pulau Ubin and Nenas Channel to contain spilled fuel.

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Updated on 05 Jan 2017 06:14 GMT

Two patches of oil have been spotted by aerial surveillance along the western coastlines of Pulau Ubin (OBS Jetty) and Nenas Channel, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Thursday. The sighting follows Tuesday night's collision between the Singapore-registered container vessel Wan Hai 301 and the Gibraltar-flagged boxship APL Denver, which resulted in the APL ship sustaining damage to one of its bunker tanks. According to the MPA, approximately 300 tonnes of fuel spilled into the sea as a result. The MPA and its contractors have deployed a total of nine vessels to respond to the fuel patches at Pulau Ubin and Nenas Channel. Two skimmers and booms have been placed off OBS Jetty and Nenas Channel to contain the patches. Since the time of the collision, MPA says it has been working closely with the National Parks Board (NParks) and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) to manage the incident. Both the Wan Hai 301 and APL Denver are currently berthed at Pasir Gudang Port and said to be "in stable condition". The MPA has stressed that, as it is the flag state of the Wan Hai 301, it will be investigating the cause of the collision which took place off Pasir Gudang Port, Johor, Malaysia. Image: The Wan Hai 301, operated by Wan Hai Lines.