Updated: April 19, 2018 (Originally published April 17, 2018)
By Roslan Khasawneh and Seng Li Peng SINGAPORE, April 17 (Reuters) – Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said it is investigating a collision between two tankers in Singapore waters on Tuesday that led to a leak of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from one of the ships.
An estimated 1,796 tonnes of butane gas leaked from the LPG tanker involved but this posed no danger to shipping and measures had been taken by the ship’s crew to stop the leak, MPA said in a statement.
“As liquefied butane has a high evaporation rate, MPA has assessed that any leaked butane would have been carried southward away from mainland Singapore, where most of it would have rapidly dissipated to below flammable levels within an hour and pose no risk to shipping,” it said.
The collision was between Singapore-registered LPG tanker Crystal Sunrise, chartered by Japanese firm Gyxis, and a westbound Greece-registered tanker, Astro Saturn, chartered by European trading house Trafigura, market and shipping sources said.
“We can confirm that the Astro Saturn is on TC (time charter) to Trafigura and is carrying fuel oil,” a Trafigura spokeswoman said, without elaborating.
According to data from Thomson Reuters Eikon, Crystal Sunrise is a Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) with a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of 54,070 tonnes carrying Middle Eastern origin LPG.
Astro Saturn is an Aframax with a DWT of 105,167 tonnes and is anchored at Tanjung Pelepas in Johor, Malaysia, but close to Singapore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=18&v=40Jbm2nO_2E
According to MPA, the Crystal Sunrise was picking up her pilot near the designated western pilot boarding ground when the collision took place about one nautical mile south of Tuas Extension.
The vessel sustained damage to her ballast tank in the collision while Astro Saturn sustained damage to her port anchor and bow.
Both ships have been stabilised and no injuries were reported.
But eight staff from PSA Marine, a marine services provider, who were in the vicinity of the collision, were given medical check-ups as a precaution.
All of the crew have since been discharged, MPA said. (Reporting by Roslan Khasawneh and Seng Li Peng; Editing by Adrian Croft)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2018.
This article contains reporting from Reuters, published under license.
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update
Essential maritime and offshore news, insights, and updates delivered daily straight to your inbox
Iran’s oil exports slipped modestly in January, but the data points to durability rather than decline. A mature dark fleet ecosystem continues to move crude through opaque networks, with activity increasingly concentrated in Malaysian waters even as U.S. sanctions enforcement expands across new regions.
Singapore has issued its clearest warning yet over the growing presence of sanctioned “shadow fleet” tankers operating near the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, calling for stronger international cooperation as aging vessels exploit legal grey zones just beyond territorial waters.
Tsakos Energy Navigation CEO Dr. Nikos Tsakos says geopolitical turmoil and the rapid expansion of shadow tanker trading have created a severe shortage of high-quality vessels, pushing charter rates to levels rarely seen in the industry. Speaking during a recent investor presentation, Tsakos said nearly a third of the global tanker fleet has been sidelined by sanctions, leaving oil majors scrambling for compliant tonnage and reshaping global energy trade routes.
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
