Petroleum Act - Singapore Statutes Online

Petroleum Act

(CHAPTER 229)

(Original Enactment: Ordinance 23 of 1908)

REVISED EDITION 1985

(30th March 1987)

An Act relating to the carriage and storage of petroleum.

[26th November 1909]

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Petroleum Act.

Interpretation

2. In this Act and in any rules made under it —

“case” means a receptacle containing not more than 36 litres, and when used of petroleum in bulk means 36 litres;

“dangerous petroleum” means petroleum which has a flashing point below 23° Celsius, or such standard as is fixed by the Minister to be ascertained as provided in this Act;

“dangerous petroleum anchorage” means any place prescribed for ships carrying dangerous petroleum;

“dwelling-house” includes all buildings and open spaces appurtenant thereto;

“export”, with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, means to take or cause to be taken out of Singapore by sea or land;

“import”, with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, means to bring or cause to be brought into Singapore by sea or by land;

“licensing authority” means a person appointed by the Minister to issue licences for keeping petroleum under section 20;

[Act 7 of 1997 wef 01/10/1997]

“licensed store” means a place licensed for the storage of petroleum or dangerous petroleum under sections 18 and 19;

“local trade ship” has the meaning given to that expression in the Merchant Shipping Act [Cap. 179];

“passenger ship” means a Singapore ship carrying more than 12 passengers from any place or between any places in Singapore;

“petroleum” includes the liquids commonly known by the names of rock oil, Rangoon oil, Burma oil, kerosene, paraffin oil, petrol, gasoline, benzol, benzoline, benzine, naphtha and any like inflammable liquid, whether a natural product or one that is made from petroleum, coal, schist, shale or any other bituminous substance, or from any products thereof;

“petroleum in bulk” means petroleum in any vessel or receptacle having a capacity of 1,364 litres or more;

“place” includes houses, yards and open spaces appurtenant thereto, buildings, footways, quays, landing stages, sea-walls, sea-beach and the banks of any river, canal or creek;

“port” means any port or place declared by rule under this Act to be a port for the purposes of this Act;

“Port Master” includes a Deputy Port Master;

“transport” means to remove from any place or vessel to any other place or vessel within Singapore;

“vessel” includes every kind of steam or sailing vessel, hulk, junk, boat, sampan or any kind of craft used for the conveyance of persons or things by water or for storage.

Import and export of petroleum

Petroleum to be imported at appointed places

3. No petroleum or dangerous petroleum shall be imported except at a port or at such other place as is appointed for that purpose by the Minister by a notification in the Gazette.

Petroleum to be imported and exported only in accordance with this Act

4.—(1) No person shall import or export petroleum or dangerous petroleum except under and in accordance with this Act or any rules made thereunder.

(2) No petroleum or dangerous petroleum contained on board any vessel in properly constructed bunkers or receptacles and used solely as the propelling power of the vessel shall be deemed to have been imported or exported contrary to this Act.

Vessels carrying dangerous petroleum to obtain permission to enter port limits

5.—(1) No vessel having dangerous petroleum on board as cargo shall enter the limits of any port, except for the purpose of proceeding direct to the dangerous petroleum anchorage or to some place exempted from this section under section 26(2), without the permission previously obtained in writing of the Port Master.

(2) The Port Master’s permit under this section shall contain such conditions as in the circumstances of the case appear to him to be reasonable, and shall state the hours during which the vessel may remain within the limits of the port.

(3) The hours shall be such as permit of the dangerous petroleum being landed and stored before 7 p.m. of the day on which the vessel enters the limits of the port.

Penalty

(4) The master of a vessel that enters any port in contravention of this section, or commits a breach of the conditions of a permit, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of $2,000 and the dangerous petroleum on board the vessel may be seized and forfeited.

Notice of arrival of vessels to be given

6.—(1) The master of any vessel carrying petroleum or dangerous petroleum, or the importer, consignee or owner of any petroleum or dangerous petroleum carried in any vessel as cargo shall, on arrival of the vessel, except where the owner or agent of the vessel has previously so done, notify the Port Master of the name of the vessel, together with such other particulars as enable the petroleum or dangerous petroleum to be properly inspected.

Penalty

(2) If any breach of this section is committed, the master, owner and agent of the vessel shall each of them be guilty of an offence, and for each such offence shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $500.

Permit to land petroleum

7.—(1) No petroleum or dangerous petroleum shall be taken out of any vessel until a permit therefor has been granted by the Port Master, or landed except in accordance with the conditions set forth in the permit and at the place stated in the permit.

(2) No such permit shall be given until the petroleum has been tested and, provided that the inspector thinks it necessary, the receptacles containing the dangerous petroleum inspected and passed in accordance with this Act or any rules made thereunder.

(3) In the case of dangerous petroleum, the permit shall not be granted until the licence to store it, required by this Act or any rules or by-laws made thereunder, has been produced.

Penalty

(4) Any person who takes or lands any petroleum or dangerous petroleum in contravention of this section, or permits the petroleum or dangerous petroleum to be so taken or landed, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $500.

Presumption

(5) For the purposes of this section the master of any vessel from which any petroleum or dangerous petroleum is taken shall be deemed to have permitted it to be so taken.

Certain petroleum not subject to this Act

8. All petroleum which on being examined and tested as provided by the rules made under this Act is found to have a flashing point higher than 66° Celsius shall thereupon cease to be subject to this Act.

Petroleum not to be landed after 7 p.m. and before 7 a.m.

9.—(1) All petroleum or dangerous petroleum referred to in section 7 shall be landed and stored in licensed premises as soon as possible after the granting of the permit therein referred to.

(2) No petroleum or dangerous petroleum shall be landed after 7 p.m. and before 7 a.m. except in the case of loading or discharging petroleum in bulk into or from tank steamers.

Penalty

(3) Any person who commits a breach of this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $500.

Anchorage of vessels carrying petroleum

10.—(1) Any vessel having petroleum on board as cargo, whether it is intended to be discharged or transhipped or is merely passing through a port or has been loaded in the port, shall, on being so ordered by the Port Master, proceed to such anchorage as the Port Master directs, whether within or without the limits of the port.

Penalty

(2) In default of compliance with any such order the master of the vessel shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000.

Carriage of petroleum in ships

11.—(1) No vessel shall load or carry petroleum or dangerous petroleum, whether in the hold or on deck, except under the conditions and restrictions imposed by this Act or any rules made thereunder.

(2) If any petroleum or dangerous petroleum is loaded or carried in any vessel in contravention of this section, the owner, charterer, master and chinchew of the vessel shall each of them be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $4,000.

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