[Parliament]Repeated bending of oil pipe rupture caused leakage caused by repeated bending of the oil pipeline.

The oil leakage occurred in Brani Island in early February because of damage to an oil pipeline connecting the dock fuel system and the pontoon refueling machine. The authorities have made preliminary analysis and judgment that the long-term repeated bending and straightening caused cracks in the oil pipeline and finally cracked.

Associate Professor Fessauer, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of National Development, responded to a question from Workers' Party MP Chen Lifeng (Hougang District) in Parliament on Thursday (February 27), explaining the oil spill in Brani Island.

Singapore Police Force, Singapore Maritime and Port Authority and the National Environment Agency issued a statement on the evening of February 6 saying that an onshore oil pipeline in Selat Sengkir was damaged, causing 23 tons of diesel to leak around Blani Island.

Feisauer said that the oil pipeline began to leak at 11:40 am on February 6, and an auxiliary policeman discovered the leakage at 11:57 am, but he mistakenly thought it was a water pipe leak. “Marine diesel is transparent and colorless, so he thought it was water.”

After receiving the notice, the police coast guard and facility management personnel arrived at the scene to investigate at around 12 noon and 1 pm respectively. No oil traces or odor were found, and they were misjudged as water pipe leaks.

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Fessor said the leak stopped by itself at around 12:20 noon, but started again at around 2:47 pm. It was not until 3:40 pm that the contractor in the nearby construction discovered an oil leak and closed the main valve to stop the leak.

According to the police Coast Guard investigation, the incident was caused by damage to an oil pipeline connecting the dock fuel system and the fuel dispenser.

“According to the preliminary assessment of the Police Coast Guard, the oil pipes are repeatedly subjected to cyclical stresses during the regular winding and unfolding, resulting in microcracks. Over time, these cracks expand and eventually the oil pipes break, causing fuel leakage.”

The Maritime Bureau and the Police Coast Guard dispatched drones on the morning of February 6 to reconnaise waters near Brani and the Southern Islands for a clearer assessment, while arranging oil and pollution cleaning contractors to assist in the cleaning.

“During this period, maritime traffic was not affected, the operations of Singapore’s ports were not disturbed, and the beaches were not closed.”

The oil stain cleaning work ended on February 8.

Fischer added that authorities regularly inspect and repair the oil pipes every month. He said that although the police Coast Guard's approach is consistent with industry norms, the police are reviewing relevant processes to further reduce the risk of repeated oil spills.