Vox Maxima accident: Northern part of Pasir Panjang Terminal cleared of oil spills

The northern part of the Pasir Panjang Container Terminal (PPT) has been cleared of oil slicks since June 18 following the deployment of the Current Buster, an oil recovery and containment system, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said. Thorough cleaning of the oil-stained Berth 36 near the berth using high-pressure jets is underway.

PPT was the site of the oil spill following the collision between a Dutch-registered Excavator Vox Maxima and stationary bunker tanker Naval Honor.

The deployment of the Current Buster at this upstream location is important to prevent surface oil from flowing westwards towards West Coast Park, which is currently untouched, and also eastwards towards downstream locations, including Sentosa Beach, Sentosa Cove, Southern Islands and Keppel Marina, the MPA said.

Offshore oil recovery operations are guided by the Department of Marine Conservation and the Meteorological Service’s tidal and wind forecast models, as well as drone and satellite imagery.

The total length of the barriers in place since June 14 is 3,400 meters. This is more than the originally planned 3,100 meters, the MPA said.

MPA also added that “So far, none of our fish farms have been affected by the oil spill. However, as a precautionary measure, the Singapore Food Agency has collected fish samples from coastal fish farms in the East Johor Strait to test them for food safety. The test results confirmed that our local fish are fit for consumption.”

Oil booms have also been installed at the mouth of Keppel Marina to facilitate the removal of accumulated oil.