A vast oil spill from a sanctioned tanker stranded off Oman has reached the country’s mainland, threatening dozens of kilometres of coastline and a marine reserve rich in wildlife as monsoon conditions hamper containment and salvage operations.
Oman’s Environment Authority said Wednesday that oil pollution had been detected on beaches around Ras Madrakah. Based on current projections, up to 40km of coastline there could be affected, while another 10-20km of beaches on the southern side of Masirah Island may be hit.
The Caroline Bezengi, carrying an estimated 800,000 to 1mn barrels of Russian crude, ran aground on June 30 near Al-Qibliyyah island after reporting difficulties off Yemen earlier that month. Maritime sources said the 25-year-old tanker appeared to have been damaged by explosions that allowed water to enter several sections.
The vessel is believed to belong to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of ageing tankers used to circumvent Western sanctions on Moscow’s oil exports.
Oman said on Monday that the spill covered nearly 400sq km. However, John Amos, an oil-spill specialist who reviewed satellite imagery obtained by Reuters, estimated that the slick had spread across more than 2,000sq km.
It is concentrated around the Hallaniyat archipelago, where Oman established a marine reserve last year to protect sensitive ecosystems and wildlife, including rare sea turtles, Arabian Sea humpback whales and Socotra cormorants.
The UN’s International Maritime Organisation said seasonal monsoon conditions had restricted access to the tanker and delayed salvage operations. Oil was drifting northeast of Al-Qibliyyah, with some reaching the mainland, it said, adding that contingency planning was under way.
The clean-up is being complicated by sanctions, insurance restrictions and the circumstances surrounding the vessel’s damage. The International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds said it would not cover clean-up costs because the incident was being treated as an “act of war” rather than an accident. The ship is also not insured by a recognised Western provider.
Amos, chief executive of the environmental group SkyTruth, warned that the tanker could continue breaking apart under pressure from wind and waves, potentially losing its entire cargo.
Such an outcome could release between 40mn and 50mn gallons of oil, rivaling the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster in scale, he said.
Greenpeace said the affected area had expanded rapidly, from about 45sq km at the end of July to around 600sq km by August 4 or 5.
Oman has deployed booms to curb the spread, but specialists say the vessel must be stabilised and its remaining cargo transferred urgently.
Separately, an oil slick in the Strait of Hormuz has reached Iran’s Qeshm and Hengam islands, affecting beaches and an environmentally sensitive mangrove forest. TankerTrackers said that spill appeared to have originated from an Iranian attack on the bulk carrier Minoan Pioneer in Omani waters on August 3.
