An oil spill covering nearly 400 km² has formed off the coast of Oman following a leak from the tanker Caroline Bezengi, which was carrying Russian oil. Reuters reports, writes UNN.
Details
It is noted that on Monday, in its first public disclosure of details regarding the environmental impact, Oman said it sought to address the oil leak in its waters near the Hallaniyat Islands.
Last year, the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, established a nature reserve around the islands by royal decree. The area is home, among other species, to Arabian Sea humpback whales and Socotra cormorants.
The oil spill covers approximately 390 square kilometers (150 square miles), Oman's Environment Authority said in a statement published by the state news agency.
The spill is spreading northeast of the islands and is located approximately seven kilometers from the coast, it said.
Reuters' analysis of satellite imagery and data from shipping experts showed that the leak from the 274-meter-long tanker, which ran aground, continued to spread at the end of last month. This raised concerns about possible environmental damage.
Vessel-tracking data indicate that Caroline Bezengi loaded Russian oil at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in April and passed through the Suez Canal at the end of May.
Built in 2001, the tanker is part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet of older oil tankers. Such vessels lack Western insurance coverage and sail under the flags of various countries to conceal their true owners.
In publicly available shipping databases, the vessel was registered under the flag of Cameroon, but in June it was removed from Cameroon's vessel registry along with 39 other vessels.
The tanker is subject to sanctions imposed by the European Union, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Canada and Switzerland.
According to LSEG data, the vessel's registered owner is Rentoor Shipmanagement Ltd, while its operator is Villar Shipmanagement Ltd. Reuters was unable to immediately contact the companies, which are likely based in China.
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