Oman's Environment Authority confirmed on August 27 that oil from the stricken tanker Caroline Bezengi has washed ashore along the country's central coast, contaminating beaches in the Ras Madrakah area and affecting 40 kilometers of shoreline.
According to Omani officials, oil is expected to continue coming ashore on the southern coast of Masirah Island, located about 15 kilometers off the Omani coast, within the coming hours, potentially affecting a 10-20 kilometer stretch of beach.
The Environment Authority said specialized teams are continuing to monitor, track, and respond to the incident, implementing necessary measures to limit the spread of the oil slick and mitigate potential impacts, prioritizing areas of high environmental sensitivity.
Earlier, Oman reported that the oil slick covered an area of nearly 400 square kilometers, concentrated around the Hallaniyat Islands, where a marine reserve was established last year to protect the habitat of sea turtles and other marine life.
Environmental organizations, including Greenpeace, have assessed that the actual scale of the oil slick is much larger than the figures released by Omani authorities.
The Caroline Bezengi has been in distress since June 8 near Oman's Al Hallaniyat Islands after the crew reported a suspected explosion. The cause of the incident has not yet been disclosed.
Western sources identify the Caroline Bezengi, flying the flag of Cameroon, as part of Russia's shadow fleet used to transport crude oil, which has faced heavy sanctions since Moscow launched its military campaign in Ukraine in 2022. Built in 2001, the vessel is currently sanctioned by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, and Ukraine. According to the open-source database OpenSanctions, two China-based companies, Rentoor Shipmanagement and Villar Shipmanagement, are listed as the ship's owner and operator, respectively.
Environmental groups have expressed concern about the impact of the expanding oil slick on the coastline and local ecosystems. Last week, Greenpeace warned of the risk of an "unprecedented oil spill disaster" if urgent response measures are not taken.
