Massive Oil Slick From Grounded Tanker Reaches Oman's Coast as Agencies Warn of Exxon Valdez Scale Disaster

According to Reuters, the tanker Caroline Bezengi, carrying an estimated 800,000 barrels of Russian oil and under international sanctions, has been grounded near Al Qibliyyah Island in an Omani marine nature reserve since June 30. The UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) told Reuters on Wednesday, August 12, that the resulting oil slick has reached Oman's mainland.

John Amos, an oil spill specialist and CEO of the nonprofit SkyTruth, said satellite imagery shows the slick now covers more than 2,000 square kilometers, and that a full loss of the remaining cargo could release 40 to 50 million gallons of oil, rivaling the scale of the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster. Greenpeace said the affected area grew from 150 square kilometers in early August to 600 square kilometers by August 5, while Oman's government had put the figure at about 400 square kilometers on Monday, August 10. The IOPC Funds, the intergovernmental body covering tanker spill compensation, said it will not fund the cleanup because the incident is being treated as an act of war; the 25 year old tanker is also not insured by any recognized Western insurer.