Oil Slick Spans 400 Square Kilometers Off Oman’s Coast
Leaking crude oil from a tanker grounded off a nature reserve in Oman has created a slick covering almost 400 square kilometers, the country’s government said on Monday.
The Caroline Bezengi is loaded with close to one million barrels of Russian oil bound for Asia and first reported difficulties on June 8 off Yemen. No party has taken responsibility for attacking the vessel. Oman, in its first public disclosure on the environmental impact, said it was seeking to tackle the oil leak near the Hallaniyat Islands.
Environmental Concerns Rise as Oil Slick Spreads
Oman‘s Environment Authority said the oil slick covers some 390 square kilometers (150 square miles), with no concern for facilities in the area including water desalination plants and tourist facilities. However, environmental group Greenpeace last week estimated the slick at around 600 square kilometres citing analysis of satellite imagery.
According to Tony Gutierrez, professor of environmental microbiology and biotechnology at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University, a spill of this scale requires dispersant be sprayed across the affected area by aircraft and the use of booms and other equipment to collect the oil before it reaches the shore or sinks to the sea floor. “If this oil is kept offshore, the impact will be much less than if the oil reaches shallower waters and the actual coastline,” he said.
Historical Context: The Shadow Fleet
The Caroline Bezengi is part of the so-called shadow fleet of older oil tankers used by Russia which lack Western insurance cover and sail under the flags of various nations to obscure their true ownership. It was listed on public shipping databases as flying the Cameroon flag but was among 39 vessels de-listed from Cameroon’s ship registry in June.
The ship is subject to sanctions imposed by the European Union, Ukraine, the UK, Canada, and Switzerland. Its registered owner is Rentoor Shipmanagement Ltd and its manager is Villar Shipmanagement Ltd, according to LSEG data. Reuters could not immediately reach those firms, which appear to be based in China.
Original Article: Oman says grounded tanker oil spill covers 400 square km — Straitstimes