Update @2330hrs: Fire at Pulau Bukom Manufacturing Site
Sep 30, 2011
The fire has been extinguished at Shell refinery at Pulau Bukom. However, there are traces of fuel vapour. Shell is standing by with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Our global fire consultants are also on site to provide inputs to the team. Our in-house global fire expert will also be in Singapore from tomorrow to provide assistance.
Safety is our top priority. We are prepared to shut down all refinery units if this is considered necessary from a safety perspective, with the exception of utilities. Other precautionary measures which we have already taken include:
- Monitoring the air quality around Bukom four times a day.
- Shutting down the neighbouring units within the vicinity of the fire.
- Isolating the lines and cooling the tanks in the area to prevent entry of any fresh hydrocarbons.
The affected area has lengths of pipelines and connected pumps, and holds a mix of hydrocarbons. This was the reason for the erratic fire, sometimes waning and sometimes growing.
The smoke observed is from hydrocarbons that are not fully combusted. There are no toxic vapours released. We will continue to monitor the air quality at Bukom.
The fire incident was confined to Pulau Bukom which is more than five kilometres away from the Singapore mainland.
Our website, www.shell.com.sg, will be regularly updated with the latest information whenever available.