Salvage operations are underway to stabilize a tanker leaking oil off the coast of Oman, according to the risk management company coordinating the effort.
Ambrey announced on Thursday that the operation was in progress, a day after Oman’s environmental authority confirmed that oil from the tanker, the Caroline Bezengi, had reached the sultanate’s central coast.
The tanker, believed to be part of Russia’s shadow fleet used to transport sanctioned oil, has been leaking crude into the sea near the Hallaniyat archipelago since June, following an unidentified explosion reported by the crew.
Ambrey stated it is collaborating with Omani authorities and that its services were engaged as part of a “significant international response” involving salvage vessels, aircraft, and specialized personnel.
While Ambrey did not specify which countries or firms were involved beyond Oman and an unnamed “leading international oil spill response company,” the vessel has flown the flags of Cameroon, Palau, and Liberia.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN’s maritime agency, confirmed it is “closely monitoring” the situation and will “continue to support ongoing efforts.”
The International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds, intergovernmental organizations providing compensation for oil pollution, will not be involved in the cleanup, citing that the incident likely resulted from an act of war.
Ambrey, based in the United Kingdom, anticipates that salvage vessels will soon reach the Caroline Bezengi, and specialist personnel have already boarded to begin stabilizing its cargo.
Ed Wollaston, Ambrey’s director of global response, described the situation as “extremely challenging,” exacerbated by adverse weather from the annual Khareef monsoon. "However, we have deployed the leading experts in each aspect of the response and have mobilized the appropriate supporting equipment, aircraft and vessels," Wollaston said in a statement. "We are working around the clock to mitigate the environmental impact of the situation."
Satellite imagery analysis indicates the oil spill has expanded significantly over the past week, raising concerns for coastlines and ecosystems in the region, including a marine reserve near the Hallaniyat archipelago.
Greenpeace reported on Thursday that, based on satellite imagery, the spill had grown from 45 square kilometers (17 sq miles) in late July to approximately 1,300 square kilometers (502 sq miles) as of Wednesday. Omani authorities had estimated the spill size at around 400 square kilometers (154 sq miles) as recently as Monday.
Hanen Keskes, Greenpeace’s head of campaigns for the MENA region, noted that the circumstances of the spill make the response “especially challenging.” "Given the scale of this – a damaged tanker in a remote location, during monsoon season, with no clear owner or verified insurer to compel a rapid response – this is a case where international assistance should be mobilized urgently," Keskes told Al Jazeera. "Capabilities like specialized salvage equipment and expertise can exceed what any one country has on hand, and every day of delay allows more oil to disperse."
Najmedin Meshkati, an expert in oil spills and professor at the University of Southern California, suggested that authorities should have acted faster to contain the spill. "That two-month interval was the response window, and it closed. In spill response, source control on day three is worth many multiples of source control on day 60," Meshkati told Al Jazeera. He acknowledged that Omani authorities faced a difficult situation: "It was handed an orphaned wreck with no responsive owner, no verifiable insurer, no functioning flag state, and a compensation regime containing a war exclusion that may void it entirely. No mid-sized maritime administration on earth is resourced for that. But that is precisely the argument for escalating harder and earlier."
Damilola S Olawuyi, a professor of energy and environmental law at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, stated that the spill underscores the need for stronger international mechanisms to hold polluters accountable. "The obligation of the entity responsible for pollution to pay for the cost of cleanup and remediation, i.e., the polluter pays principle, has for long been a bedrock of international law," Olawuyi told Al Jazeera. "However, in an era of increasing geopolitical realignments, identifying the responsible polluter has become complex, therefore complicating effective risk reduction, response and remediation measures."
