A sanctioned tanker carrying Russian crude oil is leaking a significant amount of oil into protected waters off the coast of Oman, with satellite images revealing an expanding slick near a marine reserve. Experts warn that the stranded vessel could break apart during the upcoming monsoon season, potentially causing a larger environmental disaster.
The oil sheen covers approximately 20 square kilometers, or about 8 square miles, around Dhofar's Qibliyah Island, part of Oman's Hallaniyat Islands. Dark patches of crude have also reached the shoreline, according to newly reviewed satellite imagery from Planet Labs PBC. The leak has reportedly worsened in recent days, increasing fears of a more substantial spill.
"The last few days, the imagery indicates an increase in oil coming out, as the size of the sheen is growing," Wim Zwijnenburg, an environmental expert with the Dutch peace organization PAX, told The Associated Press. He added that the vessel's integrity is a major concern, as strong winds and rough seas during the annual monsoon season could cause the hull to fracture.
The tanker, identified as the 899-foot, Cameroon-flagged Caroline Bezengi, has been stranded off Oman's southern coast since June. Maritime news outlets reported that the crew alerted to an onboard explosion. Reuters, citing maritime security sources, indicated the vessel first encountered trouble on June 8 near the Yemeni port of Mukalla, though the cause remains unconfirmed.
Ship-tracking data indicates the Caroline Bezengi loaded Russian crude at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. The vessel is part of Moscow's so-called "shadow fleet," a network of aging tankers used to bypass Western sanctions imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada, and Switzerland have sanctioned the ship for its alleged role in transporting Russian oil.
Environmental specialists estimate the tanker is carrying over 800,000 barrels of crude oil. Recent imagery suggests at least one section of the hull is breached, and other maritime experts observing the images told Reuters the vessel appears to be listing, exacerbating concerns about it breaking apart.
The spill poses a severe threat to a protected marine reserve in the Arabian Sea, which is a habitat for endangered petrels and other rare wildlife. Greenpeace Germany has warned that oil has already begun polluting stretches of the coastline and damaging the area's delicate ecosystem.
"With oil apparently continuing to leak and the tanker stranded in a difficult location, there is a serious risk of a much larger oil disaster, with even more devastating consequences for the region's coastlines and marine ecosystems," Nina Noelle of Greenpeace Germany stated.
The U.N.'s International Maritime Organization is monitoring the situation. While the vessel has not yet broken apart, authorities are continuing to assess the safety and environmental risks. Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology had ordered the ship's owners to remove the vessel and its cargo by July 23, but it is unclear if this deadline was met or if the owners have responded.