Singapore Leads Regional Oil Spill Response Exercise with Indonesia and Malaysia

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) recently conducted a table-top exercise with Indonesia and Malaysia to enhance regional coordination and strengthen response capabilities for oil spills. The exercise brought together over 20 representatives from MPA, Indonesia’s Directorate General of Sea Transportation, Malaysia’s Environment Department, and oil spill response experts from ITOPF. This initiative aimed to foster collaboration and improve communication between the littoral States during an oil spill incident in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS).

Singapore, as the chair of the Revolving Fund Committee (RFC) from April 2022 to March 2027, led the exercise to facilitate cooperation among the three states and the Malacca Strait Council (MSC). The RFC, established in 1981, serves as a funding mechanism that allows each state to access funds for combating oil spills in the SOMS. The exercise focused on coordination procedures, rapid deployment of response assets, and collaboration between government agencies and response companies to optimize resources for oil spill incidents.

The response strategies and asset deployment plans tested during the exercise will be further honed in a Ground Deployment Exercise scheduled for 2026 involving the three littoral States and ITOPF. According to ITOPF data, there were 10 oil spills of more than seven tonnes from tanker incidents in 2024, the same number as in 2023. Of these incidents, six resulted in spills greater than 700 tonnes, mainly involving fuel oil and occurring in regions like South America, Asia, and Europe. The remaining four incidents were classified as ‘medium’ spills and also involved fuel oil.

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