Oil spill from shadow fleet tanker spreading off Oman, satellite images show
By Catherine Cartier and Jonathan Saul BEIRUT/LONDON, July 31 (Reuters) - A sanctions-hit tanker is leaking oil off the coast of Oman and the spill has spread in recent days, increasing concern about possible environmental damage to coastal areas, according to an analysis of satellite imagery and shipping specialists. The Caroline Bezengi took Russian oil on board at the Black Sea port of…
Recent satellite images have revealed the spread of crude oil from a sanctioned tanker grounded off the coast of Oman. The images, with the most recent taken on Friday, indicate an oil sheen covering roughly 20 square kilometers and dark spots of crude oil on the shores of Dhofar’s Qibliyah Island. According to Wim Zwijnenburg, an environmental expert for Dutch peace organization PAX, the oil leak has been gradually occurring over the past week, gradually expanding the sheen around the island.
The primary concern is the potential shipwreck due to the rough seas and strong winds during the monsoon season, which is anticipated to take place from May to September. The tanker, Suezmax Caroline Bezengi, is sanctioned by the U.K. for transporting oil from Russia and is also subject to sanctions by the European Union, Canada, and Switzerland.
The vessel, measuring 274 meters in length, has been grounded off the Dhofar coast since June, following an explosion on board. SynMax Maritime, a geospatial data tracking company, obtained images in May showing the tanker at Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk before its most recent voyage. Greenpeace Germany has expressed concern over the environmental risks posed by Russia's so-called "shadow fleet," warning of potential larger oil disasters if the leak continues.
The Omani Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology has ordered the tanker's owners to remove it and its cargo by July 23; however, it remains unclear if the owners have complied.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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