The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has signed a pact with the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) to improve response to oil spills.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed at Monday at this year's International Chemical and Oil Pollution Conference and Exhibition.
The pact between MPA and ITOPF would make monetary compensation easier for the parties involved in responding to oil spills in Singapore waters.
The MOU will be effective from October and will last for three years before being reviewed.
It spells out the rates for oil spill response resources provided by the MPA and other agencies involved for a clean-up operation.
Such resources include craft used in clean-up operations, oil booms, oil skimmers, oil storage barges and dispersant spray system.
The rates vary, depending on the types of vessels and equipment used.
Singapore has become the first country in the world to have established such a pact on agreed rates with ITOPF.
London-based ITOPF is a non-profit organisation funded by a majority of the world's shipowners. It offers a wide range of technical services which include oil spill response.
This new initiative aims to strengthen Singapore's commitment to a swift oil spill response in times of emergency.
It also aims to reduce prolonged litigation in claims after an oil spill is cleaned up. MPA, however, did not specify how much time would be saved with the signing of the latest pact.
In retrospect, an incident 10 years ago involving the tanker Evoikos, which spilled about 28,500 tonnes of heavy marine fuel into Singapore waters, took five years for a final claims settlement.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed at Monday at this year's International Chemical and Oil Pollution Conference and Exhibition.
The pact between MPA and ITOPF would make monetary compensation easier for the parties involved in responding to oil spills in Singapore waters.
The MOU will be effective from October and will last for three years before being reviewed.
It spells out the rates for oil spill response resources provided by the MPA and other agencies involved for a clean-up operation.
Such resources include craft used in clean-up operations, oil booms, oil skimmers, oil storage barges and dispersant spray system.
The rates vary, depending on the types of vessels and equipment used.
Singapore has become the first country in the world to have established such a pact on agreed rates with ITOPF.
London-based ITOPF is a non-profit organisation funded by a majority of the world's shipowners. It offers a wide range of technical services which include oil spill response.
This new initiative aims to strengthen Singapore's commitment to a swift oil spill response in times of emergency.
It also aims to reduce prolonged litigation in claims after an oil spill is cleaned up. MPA, however, did not specify how much time would be saved with the signing of the latest pact.
In retrospect, an incident 10 years ago involving the tanker Evoikos, which spilled about 28,500 tonnes of heavy marine fuel into Singapore waters, took five years for a final claims settlement.