Sanctioned Russian Oil Tanker Leaks Crude Into Protected Omani Marine Reserve, Slick Now Covers 390 Square Kilometres

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A Growing Environmental Emergency

Oman's government has confirmed for the first time the scale of an oil spill that has been building for weeks off its southern coast. According to a statement from the country's Environment Authority, the slick now covers close to 390 square kilometres and stretches toward the mainland, coming within about seven kilometres of the shore at its closest point.

The source of the pollution is the Caroline Bezengi, a tanker that ran aground near the Hallaniyat Islands, an archipelago off Oman's Dhofar coast. The islands were declared a protected nature reserve by royal decree, and they are home to Arabian Sea humpback whales, nesting sea turtles, and rare seabirds such as the Socotra cormorant.

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From Explosion to Grounding

The trouble began in early June. The tanker's crew reported an explosion on board on June 8, while the ship was off the coast of Yemen. Maritime security sources say early assessments pointed to a blast having occurred inside the vessel, though no group has claimed responsibility for an attack.

The crew was evacuated safely a few days later, and the abandoned tanker subsequently drifted onto rocks at Jazirat Al Qibliyyah, one of the Hallaniyat Islands. Satellite imagery reviewed by the Associated Press in late July already showed an oil sheen spreading across roughly 20 square kilometres around the wreck, a figure that has since grown sharply.

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A Cargo of Sanctioned Russian Crude

The Caroline Bezengi had loaded close to a million barrels of Russian crude oil at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in April, bound for Asia. It passed through the Suez Canal at the end of May, shortly before the explosion occurred.

Built in 2001, the 274-metre tanker is considered part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet: a group of older vessels that lack standard Western insurance and often sail under flags of convenience to disguise their true ownership. The ship had been listed under a Cameroonian flag, but it was among 39 vessels removed from Cameroon's shipping registry in June. It is currently subject to sanctions imposed by the European Union, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Canada and Switzerland.

Corporate records reviewed by Reuters list Rentoor Shipmanagement Ltd as the registered owner and Villar Shipmanagement Ltd as the manager, with both firms appearing to be based in China. Neither company could be reached for comment.

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Why Salvage Has Stalled

Maritime industry reports indicate that a salvage firm commissioned by Oman identified a workable plan to pump the tanker's remaining oil through a roughly 900-metre pipeline to a receiving vessel anchored nearby. However, legal complications tied to the ship's sanctioned status have reportedly delayed any offloading operation, even as inspectors describe the vessel's condition as steadily worsening, with a widening hull breach and an increasing list.

Rough seas during Oman's annual monsoon season have further complicated diving and salvage work around the wreck, authorities say, even though the same weather has at times pushed oil away from the coastline.

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Environmental Groups Sound the Alarm

Environmental organizations, including Greenpeace, have warned that the spill threatens coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and nesting beaches relied upon by endangered sea turtles, as well as breeding grounds for migratory seabirds. Campaigners have urged Omani authorities to seek international assistance and to commission an independent assessment of the ecological damage once the immediate crisis is under control.

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Outlook

Omani officials say aircraft, satellite imagery and marine surveys are being used continuously to track the pollution and protect the most sensitive habitats. But with the tanker still largely full and its structural condition deteriorating, experts warn that a far larger spill remains possible unless a safe way to remove the remaining cargo is found soon.

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Sources:

1. Reuters – Oman says grounded tanker oil spill covers 400 square km (Aug 10, 2026): https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-spill-off-oman-tanker-under-sanctions-against-russia-spreads-over-huge-area-2026-08-10/
2. Associated Press (via ABC News) – Oil leak spreads from a sanctioned tanker grounded off Oman, images show: https://abcnews.com/Business/wireStory/oil-leak-spreads-sanctioned-tanker-grounded-off-oman-135291674
3. Gulf News – Oman Oil Slick From Grounded Caroline Bezengi Spreads Across 390 sq km: https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/oman/oil-slick-from-grounded-ship-off-oman-spreads-across-390-sq-km-1.500635914
4. Greenpeace International – Oil disaster unfolds in protected marine area as Russian shadow fleet tanker leak accelerates off Oman: https://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/85261/oil-disaster-russian-shadow-fleet-tanker-oman-protected-marine-area/

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