Overview
- The Caroline Bezengi, a sanctioned tanker that reported an onboard blast in early June and later ran aground, has been leaking Russian crude and oil has reached Ras Madrakah on Oman's mainland.
- Salvage and specialist personnel from UK firm Ambrey boarded the tanker on Thursday to assess the hull, begin stabilisation and prepare options to transfer its cargo.
- Estimates of the slick's size vary widely: Oman's authority puts it at roughly 390–400 square kilometres while independent analysts and NGOs have reported figures from about 600 up to more than 2,000 square kilometres.
- An IOPC Funds ruling that the incident likely qualifies as an 'act of war' and the tanker's unclear flag, ownership and lack of recognised Western insurance are creating funding and legal barriers to rapid containment and compensation.
- The leak threatens a newly created marine reserve, about 40 km of Omani coastline and species such as humpback whales, sea turtles and coral, and the remote location plus Khareef monsoon conditions are making containment and shoreline cleanup far harder.