An oil pipeline belonging to the British oil giant Shell began leaking into the sea on Sunday, according to Singaporean authorities. Of course, this is just another day in the life of Big Oil, leak a little here, spill a little there, and act surprised when someone notices. But don’t worry, the leak was quickly stopped, or so we are told, and cleanup crews were dispatched as if that makes everything okay.
What They Are saying
The spill reportedly started early Sunday morning, conveniently on a pipeline running between two small islands, Bukom and Bukom Kecil. Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) issued a statement that was packed with the usual corporate lingo, assuring everyone that the situation was under control. They said, “The leak was reported to have stopped at the source.”
Shell, the beloved operator of a major oil refinery on Bukom, supposedly placed containment booms at the site of the leak and sent out boats loaded with dispersants to clean up the oil. It’s comforting to know that they’re cleaning up the mess they made, isn’t it? The MPA, trying its best to show they’ve got this under control, said they also sent out equipment and teams to handle the slick, and even activated drones and satellites to monitor the spill. Nothing says “we’ve got this” like deploying drones and satellite imagery after your coastline has been doused in oil.
In case anyone was worried, the MPA added that there had been no new sightings of oil as of Sunday evening. Well, that’s a relief, because as long as we can’t see it, it must not exist anymore, right? Of course, Shell could not immediately be reached for comment on Sunday evening. They’re probably too busy working on their next “commitment to sustainability” PR campaign.
Why It Matters
Let’s not forget, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. Just this past June, Singapore had to close beaches on Sentosa Island after another oil spill. This one was caused by an accident at Pasir Panjang port when a dredger collided with a stationary bunker vessel. That’s right, it took a month to clean up the beaches after that disaster, and now here we are again, with more oil in the water and more damage to the environment.
The MPA, in their infinite wisdom, issued navigational safety broadcasts to warn passing vessels to steer clear of the site, though they assured us there was no impact to navigation safety. So, as long as the boats can keep sailing and the ships keep moving, everything’s fine, right? It seems like the only real concern is whether this spill might inconvenience commercial shipping lanes.
Once again, we see the perfect example of how oil companies like Shell can spill hazardous materials into the ocean and manage to carry on business as usual. A little oil here, a little damage there, just another day at work. But don’t worry, cleanup crews will come in with their booms, drones, and dispersants, and we’ll pretend like it never happened.
Bottom Line
This is the world we live in, where oil spills are just shrugged off as minor inconveniences, and the companies responsible face little more than a slap on the wrist. Shell and others like it will keep operating their massive oil refineries, and every so often, we’ll get a new report about another spill, another cleanup, and another day where nothing really changes.
