Shell Shuts Down Bukom Island Unit to Probe Suspected Oil Leak

British petrochemical giant Shell has shut down one of its oil processing units on Bukom Island to investigate a suspected leak, and has informed the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the National Environment Agency (NEA), the authorities said on Dec 27.

- Gabrielle Andres

The oil processing unit, located at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park, is used to produce refined oil products such as diesel, said MPA, NEA, the National Parks Board and Sentosa Development Corporation in a joint statement on Dec 27.

Water drawn from the sea is used to cool the refined oil products in the unit.

Shell estimated that a few tonnes of the refined oil products were leaked - together with the cooling water discharged, the agencies said.

This leak came after more than 30 tonnes of slop - a mixture of oil and water - were leaked into the sea between Bukom Island and Bukom Kechil from a land-based Shell pipeline on Oct 20.

Shell is still under probe for taking more than seven hours to notify the authorities about this incident.