About 23 tonnes of diesel oil leaked from a damaged shore fuel hose at the Police Coast Guard’s (PCG) Brani base on 5 February, according to a joint statement from the Singapore Police Force, the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA), and the National Environment Agency (NEA).
The incident, discovered around 11.40 am, was fully isolated by 3.40 pm the same day.
The leak originated from a fuel hose used to refuel patrol craft at Selat Sengkir. Small patches of light oil sheens were spotted in the southern waters of Singapore, but no major oil slicks were reported.
Authorities quickly deployed patrol craft and “spill response resources” to manage the clean-up. Contractors were also activated to assist.
The statement emphasised that there has been no disruption to navigational traffic or operations at the Port of Singapore.
In a separate statement, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) confirmed that the waters surrounding its beaches—Tanjong, Palawan, and Siloso—remain clear of oil and odour.
As a precaution, oil absorbent and deflective booms have been placed around the beaches to protect the environment.
Ongoing efforts to manage oil spills
The Brani base incident is the latest in a series of oil leaks affecting Singapore’s waters over the past year. In December, a suspected leak at Shell’s oil processing unit on Pulau Bukom resulted in the release of several tonnes of refined oil products.
Clean-up operations were initiated after oil sheens were detected at the site.
Earlier in June, a collision between the Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima and the Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal caused one of the year’s largest oil spills.
Approximately 400 tonnes of low-sulphur fuel oil leaked into the sea, prompting extensive clean-up operations involving 800 personnel and 2,300 volunteers. These efforts concluded in September, ahead of schedule.
On 20 October, another spill occurred when 30 to 40 tonnes of oil-water mixture, or “slop,” leaked from a Shell pipeline into waters between Bukom Island and Bukom Kecil.
Just days later, on 28 October, about 5 tonnes of oil overflowed during a bunkering operation between a Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier and a licensed bunker tanker.
The International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) classifies oil spills of less than 7 tonnes as small.
While most recent incidents have been managed effectively, larger spills like the June event highlight the continued challenges Singapore faces as a major maritime hub.
For the current incident at Brani base, authorities have assured the public that monitoring will continue to ensure minimal environmental impact.
Further updates may be provided if necessary, but for now, Singapore’s beaches and port operations remain unaffected.
