Precautionary measures taken after 30 tonnes of 'slop' leak into sea

More than 30 tonnes of "slop" - a mixture of oil and water - leaked into the sea between Bukom Island and Bukom Kecil early on Oct 20, after an oil leak from a land-based pipeline belonging to petrochemical firm Shell.

- Fatimah Mujibah

More than 30 tonnes of "slop" - a mixture of oil and water - leaked into the sea between Bukom Island and Bukom Kecil early on Oct 20, said British petrochemical company Shell, as government agencies announced precautionary measures to detect and contain any slick.

In a statement on Oct 21, Shell said it was "actively working with all relevant authorities to manage the clean-up effort", following an oil leak from a land-based pipeline.

The leak stopped at around 3pm on Oct 20, said the company, which said that approximately 30 to 40 tonnes of slop leaked into the sea.

"Our priority is to ensure the safety of people and to limit environmental impact as we work on resolving this as quickly as possible.

"We appreciate the support and cooperation from the authorities and our communities as we work diligently to minimise the impact," said Shell, adding that more information will be released soon.