Official textFrom Singapore Statutes Online, unchanged
cl 1Short title and commencement
This Act may be cited as the Petroleum Act, 1972, and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.
In this Act, and in any regulations made thereunder —
“Class A petroleum” means any petroleum whose flashpoint shall be less than 73° Fahrenheit (23° Centigrade) and includes liquefied petroleum gas;
“Class B petroleum” means any petroleum whose flashpoint lies between 73° Fahrenheit (23° Centigrade) and 150° Fahrenheit (66° Centigrade);
“Class C petroleum” means any petroleum whose flashpoint lies between 150° Fahrenheit (66° Centigrade) and 200° Fahrenheit (93° Centigrade);
“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 land, sea or air;
“import”, with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, means to bring or cause to be brought into Singapore by land, sea or air;
“licensed place” means a place licensed for the storage of Class A, Class B or Class C petroleum;
“liquefied petroleum gas” means hydrocarbons derived from crude petroleum processes or from natural gas at normal atmospheric temperature and pressure but which may be readily liquefied under pressure and includes propane, propylene, butane, isobutane, butylene and mixtures of these gases;
“petroleum” includes crude petroleum, oil made from petroleum, or from coal, shale, peat or other bituminous substances and other products of petroleum;
“place” includes houses, yards and open spaces appurtenant thereto, buildings, footways, quays, landing stages, sea-walls, beaches and the banks of any river, canal or creek;
“the port” means any place in Singapore and any navigable river or channel leading into such places declared to be the port under section 3 of the Port of Singapore Authority Act (Cap. 173);
“transport” means to remove from any place or vessel to any other place or vessel within Singapore;
“vessel” includes any ship or boat or any other description of vessel used in navigation, and a hovercraft.
The provisions of this Act shall not apply to petroleum having a flashpoint in excess of 200° Fahrenheit (93° Centigrade).
No Class A or Class B petroleum shall be imported or exported except at the port or at such other place outside the port as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.
The Minister may impose conditions to the import and export of petroleum at such place outside the port as he thinks fit.
Any person who imports or exports Class A or Class B petroleum at any place other than the port or at a place appointed by the Minister shall be guilty of an offence under this Act.
For the purposes of this section no Class A or Class B petroleum contained on board any vessel in bunkers or storage spaces of an approved construction and used solely as the propelling power of such vessel shall be deemed to be imported or exported for the purposes of this Act.
No vessel shall, outside the port, load or carry Class A or Class B petroleum, whether in the hold or on deck, except under the conditions and the instructions imposed by this Act or any regulations made thereunder.
If any Class A or Class B petroleum is loaded or carried in any vessel in contravention of this section, the owner, the charterer, the master and the chinchew of such vessel shall each of them be deemed guilty of an offence under this Act and shall each be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding four thousand dollars.
No person shall, outside the port, transport any Class A, Class B or Class C petroleum without a licence except under this Act or any regulations made thereunder.
Any person who commits a breach of this section shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars.
No person shall, outside the port, transport Class A, Class B or Class C petroleum in excess of the quantities exempted from licensing in regulations made under this Act between 7.00 p.m. and 6.00 a.m. without the express permission (which may be general or special) of the Minister.
Nothing in this section shall apply to Class A or Class C petroleum carried in the supply tank or a spare container of a motor vehicle for use in the propulsion thereof, or to any vessels, having petroleum on board as a cargo, lying in any river, canal or creek outside the port and waiting for daylight before proceeding.
Any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars.
No vessel, outside the port, shall remain in any river, canal or creek for a longer time than is reasonably necessary for loading or unloading, and in no case between the hours of 7.00 p.m. and 6.00 a.m. if it has on board as cargo, whether for transport or storage, any Class A petroleum.
No vessel, outside the port, shall remain in any river, canal or creek for a longer time than is reasonably necessary for loading or unloading if it has on board, either as cargo or otherwise, more than the quantum of Class B petroleum that may be transported without a licence as prescribed in regulations made under this Act.
This section shall not apply to vessels, the propelling power of which is obtained by Class A or Class C petroleum, if the receptacles for the storage of such Class A or Class C petroleum are of an approved or accepted construction.
Any person who contravenes the provisions of subsections (1), (2) and (3) of this section shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars.
No person shall place or permit to remain on any quay, bank or other place outside the port any Class A, Class B or Class C petroleum for a longer time than is reasonably necessary for the loading or unloading thereof in connection with its transport, and in no case between 7.00 p.m. and 6.00 a.m.
Any person who contravenes the provisions of this section shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars.
No person shall, outside the port, store or keep any Class A, Class B or Class C petroleum in any place without a licence and except under and in accordance with this Act or any regulations made thereunder.
Any person who commits a breach of this section shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars and in the case of a continuing offence to a further fine of not exceeding one hundred dollars for every day during which the offence is continued after conviction.
The Minister may appoint by name or office an officer to be styled the Licensing Officer under this Act.
The Licensing Officer may at his discretion grant licences for the keeping of larger quantities of petroleum than are specified in regulations made under this Act.
Such licences may be granted subject to such regulations as may be made and to such conditions as the Licensing Officer may think fit.
Every licence shall set out the quantity of Class A, Class B or Class C petroleum which may be kept and the conditions on which the licence is granted.
Every licence shall be valid for a period not exceeding twelve months, and shall expire on the last day of such period if it has not been earlier revoked or suspended.
Licence fees shall be paid to the Licensing Officer according to such scales as the Minister may by regulations prescribe.
If at any time it appears to the Licensing Officer that the licensed place has become unfit for the purposes for which it was licensed, or if the person to whom such licence is granted commits a breach of any of the conditions of such licence, the Licensing Officer may cancel the same without notice and without compensation.
Any person aggrieved by any decision of the Licensing Officer in granting, refusing or cancelling any licence may appeal against that decision to the Minister whose decision thereon shall be final.
The Minister may appoint such number of inspectors for the purposes of this Act and for such periods as he considers necessary.
Such inspectors shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of the Penal Code (Cap. 103).
Any inspector under this Act may —
board any vessel having or believed to have Class A, Class B or Class C petroleum as cargo;
inspect, examine and test all Class A or any petroleum or substance believed to be petroleum on board such vessel;
stop and examine any vehicle where he has reason to believe that Class A, Class B or Class C petroleum is being transported in excess of quantities prescribed by regulations made under this Act;
examine and test any petroleum or substance believed to be petroleum stored on land;
take samples of petroleum; and
enter any place where he has reason to believe that Class A, Class B or Class C petroleum is kept in excess of quantities prescribed by regulations made under this Act.
Any officer authorised by the Minister for the purpose or any police officer not below the rank of sergeant may board any ship or vessel for the purpose of ascertaining whether any breach of this Act is being or has been committed.
cl 13Obstructing officers in the execution of their duty
Any person who refuses any inspector, officer authorised under subsection (2) of section 12 of this Act or police officer access to any place, vessel or vehicle or otherwise hinders him in the performance of his duty, or refuses or neglects to give any information which is reasonably required of him and which he has it in his power to give or which he is required by this Act to give shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars.
When any place or vessel liable to inspection is closed, any person residing in or being in charge of such place or vessel shall, on demand of any inspector, police officer or authorised officer, allow him free entry thereto and afford all reasonable facilities for a search therein.
If entry to such place or vessel cannot be obtained any inspector may —
break open any outer or inner door or window of any place or vessel;
forcibly enter such place or vessel and every part thereof; or
remove by force any obstruction to such entry or search.
Any person who refuses any such entry or in any way prevents or obstructs any inspector, police officer or any authorised officer in effecting an entrance or search under this section shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or to both such fine and imprisonment and may be arrested by the inspector making or desiring to make such search without warrant.
cl 15Flashpoint of Class B petroleum to be ascertained
No Class B petroleum shall, after it has been landed, be distributed until its flashpoint has been ascertained by an inspector appointed under section 11 of this Act.
No person shall sell or expose for sale or have in his possession for sale any Class A, Class B or Class C petroleum which is adulterated in any way so as not to conform to such standard as is prescribed.
Any person who commits a breach of this section shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding three thousand dollars.
No repairs involving hot work to any vessel, tank or installation which has contained Class A or Class B petroleum shall be begun or carried out unless such tank installation has been certified free from flammable vapour by an inspector appointed under section 11 of this Act.
The term “hot work” shall mean any repair or alteration involving grinding, drilling, rivetting, welding burning or other fire, spark or heat producing operation.
cl 18No vessel to enter port without certification
No vessel that has carried Class A or Class B petroleum as the whole or part of her cargo shall enter the port, except to anchor at an anchorage designated as a place of inspection for petroleum carrying vessels, unless an inspector has certified that he has examined every accessible part and that the vessel is, in his opinion, free from flammable vapour.
The Minister may make orders directing that this Act or any part thereof shall apply to any flammable oil or liquid, and specifying the quantity which may be kept or stored without a licence, and thereupon this Act or part thereof specified in such order shall, during the continuance of such order, apply to such flammable oil or liquid.
The Minister may make orders exempting either conditionally or absolutely any place, vehicle or vessel from all or any of the provisions of this Act or any regulations made thereunder.
Any inspector appointed under this Act or any police officer may arrest without warrant any person offending in his opinion against any of the provisions of this Act.
All offences under this Act shall be tried by a District Court or a Magistrate’s Court.