Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on the Shell Oil Leak

Question:

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in respect of the oil leak from the oil processing unit at the Shell Energy and Chemical Park on Bukom on 27 December 2024 (a) what products were leaked; (b) what was the cause of the leak; (c) how long has the leak occurred before it was discovered and how soon did Shell notify the authorities; and (e) what actions have been taken to ensure that such leaks can be prevented or minimised in future.

Answer:

1 At approximately 9:30am on 26 December 2024, Shell Singapore Pte. Ltd. (Shell) discovered oil sheens in the waters off Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Singapore at Pulau Bukom. Shell informed the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and National Environment Agency (NEA) of the oil sheens around 12 noon and 1:15pm respectively. An MPA craft arrived on site at 12:15pm to assess the situation and provide support. Shell completed the clean-up works on 28 December 2024 and there were no other oil sightings since then.

2 Shell estimated that a few tonnes of refined oil products were leaked into the water. Shell’s investigations are still on-going.  Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, Shell has carried out pipeline integrity checks across its Bukom facility and enhanced the monitoring of various discharge points leading to the watercourse.

3 Agencies are still investigating the incident and will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement actions if any lapses are uncovered. 

4 To ensure that appropriate measures are in place to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, NEA and relevant agencies have requested Shell’s senior management to account for the overall operations and maintenance system at their Bukom facility. NEA has also directed Shell to engage an independent consultant to review the facilities and practices at its Bukom facility. 

5 In addition to regular inspections on industrial facilities, NEA has reminded the operators of all similar facilities to ensure that inspections, maintenance and repairs, as well as emergency response procedures are regularly reviewed and updated. Relevant learning points from the oil leak incidents will be shared with the operators of other similar industrial facilities.