Oil from stricken tanker drifts into Singapore Port

Oil was still leaking Thursday from a Panama-registered tanker that ran aground in Indonesian waters two days earlier, officials said Thursday.

Strong winds have blown some of the spilled oil into the waters of Singapore's busy port, the Maritime and Port Authority said.

"There are still some small leaks," MPA spokesman Simon Ang said, adding that the fresh leakage was being contained by an oil boom, a floating device placed around stricken vessels to block oil spills.

At least 7,000 tons of crude oil spilled into the sea after the 51,095-gross ton Natuna Sea ran aground at dawn Tuesday. None of the 32 people aboard were injured.

The disabled vessel was still grounded in Indonesian waters about eight kilometers southeast of Singapore Thursday.

An oil slick about 1.6 kilometers long and one kilometer wide was earlier spotted drifting toward Indonesia's Riau islands, but it was largely dispersed by chemicals sprayed from boats and an airplane.

A total of 18 pollution control craft from private companies and the MPA were working to clean up the spill Thursday.

"The situation is under control," the MPA statement said, adding that fish farms, beaches and Singapore's popular resort island of Sentosa "remained safe and were not affected" by the oil.

Salvage crews Thursday were siphoning oil from the Natuna Sea to other ships, the MPA statement said.

The extent of damage to the ship was still unknown Thursday. A diving team had to call off a planned underwater check on the vessel Wednesday due to strong currents.

Chua Sek Chuan, a marine environment specialist with the Nature Society of Singapore, said some of the oil was likely to sink despite efforts to contain and disperse it.

"If there are any reefs nearby, it will suffocate the coral. That will kill off the reefs," he said, adding that fish and other sea life would be hurt by the death of coral.

The chemicals used for the cleanup may also hurt some marine animals, Chua said. (*)