Oil Spill from Grounded Tanker Reaches Oman Coast

A major oil spill from the tanker Caroline Bezengi has reached Oman's coastline as of Wednesday (Aug 13), the country's Environment Authority confirmed. Experts warn the incident could become one of the worst oil spills globally in years, as oil has spread almost unchecked for weeks.

On Monday, Oman said it was working to contain the spill, which had already affected about 390 square kilometres (150 square miles) according to the authority's analysis. Now the slick has expanded to cover more than 2,000 square kilometres (770 square miles), according to oil spill expert John Amos, who reviewed satellite imagery obtained by Reuters. The Environment Authority warned the slick could affect around 40 kilometres of coast near Ras Madraka, as well as Masirah Island.

How the incident unfolded

Oil has been leaking from the Caroline Bezengi since the vessel ran aground about 22 nautical miles (41 km) from Oman's coastal town of Sharbithat, after the crew reported a suspected explosion on June 8. The ship was en route from Russia to India. Reuters reported the tanker was carrying around 800,000 barrels of sanctioned oil when it grounded on June 30.

An investigation by AFP found the vessel had been stuck for weeks near Oman's al-Qibliyyah Island, during which time oil gradually drifted toward the Omani shore. Oman News Agency (ONA) quoted the environment authority as saying that “monitoring results today show that some beaches in the Ras Madrakah area have been affected by oil pollution.” The Indian Ocean town lies roughly 200 km from al-Qibliyyah.

The slick is now concentrated around the Hallaniyat Islands off the southern coast, home to a marine reserve established last year to protect a sensitive ecosystem featuring diverse marine life, including rare sea turtles. On Wednesday, ONA reported that “a stretch of coast up to 40 km in the [Ras Madrakah] area is expected to be affected.” Beaches on the southern side of Masirah Island, located 15 km off the Omani coast, could be contaminated “within the coming hours,” affecting 10–20 km of shoreline.

Cause of the incident

British maritime security firm Vanguard said the vessel suffered “explosions” in early June while sailing off the coast of Yemen, causing water to flood several compartments. The ship subsequently ran aground off Oman. No official explanation has been provided for the blasts, and no party has claimed responsibility for an attack. However, the vessel traversed two conflict zones on its journey from Russia to India.

In April, the Caroline Bezengi departed Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. The ship is believed to be part of Russia's “shadow fleet” used to circumvent Western sanctions on oil exports. The vessel sails under the Cameroon flag. Companies Rentoor Shipmanagement and Villar Shipmanagement, both based in China, are registered as the vessel's owner and operator.

Russia's shadow fleet consists largely of ageing vessels often criticized for poor maintenance, lack of insurance, and lax safety standards. Ukraine has previously carried out attacks on suspected shadow fleet tankers carrying Russian oil. The Caroline Bezengi later transited the Suez Canal in late May, before passing through the Red Sea and Yemen, where Iran-backed Houthi forces have been targeting ships with Saudi Arabian flags.

Potential damage

Last week, environmental advocacy group Greenpeace warned the spill was on the verge of causing an “environmental catastrophe.” Christopher D'Elia, an oil spill expert and professor emeritus at Louisiana State University (USA), said the roughly 800,000 barrels of crude aboard the Caroline Bezengi would amount to a “fairly large oil spill.”

“This spill raises many issues. These illegal tankers do not adhere to the polluter pays principle — the foundation that the US and other developed nations use to regulate oil spills. The responsible party must fund the cleanup in the US. In this case, there is no responsible party,” D'Elia told Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, Iranian media reported Wednesday that a separate oil spill in the Strait of Hormuz had reached Qeshm Island, affecting beaches and a sensitive mangrove forest. State news agency IRNA said the slick had impacted areas on Qeshm's southern coast, as well as parts of the neighboring small island of Hengam.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said pollution had been observed at three locations and on the sea surface, with the source appearing to be a “foreign cargo ship,” without naming the vessel. The risk of oil spills in the Gulf has risen sharply due to attacks on tankers during the five-month conflict between the US and Iran. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has recorded 65 incidents in the Strait of Hormuz and across the Middle East since early March.

“Any party that benefits from commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has a legal and moral obligation to act to compensate for and remedy the environmental damage caused to the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman,” Baghaei said.