Oman trying to contain extensive oil spill from stricken tanker

The Caroline Bezengi is believed to be part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ that Moscow uses to circumvent Western sanctions on its oil exports.Oman says it is working to contain an oil spill off its southern coast that covers almost 400 square kilometres (150 square miles) from a stricken tanker stranded for more than a month inside a protected marine area.The Oman-environment-authority" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="182461" data-entity-type="organization">Oman Environment Authority said on Monday that the ongoing spill was within an estimated 7km (4.4 miles) of the coast, according to its most recent analysis.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3‘Environmental disaster’: Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries rock Russialist 2 of 3Video shows oil spill on Iranian island after refinery attack last monthlist 3 of 3The pollution that outlives warend of listEnvironmental group Greenpeace last week estimated the slick at around 600 square kilometres (230 square miles), citing analysis of satellite imagery.The Caroline Bezengi loaded at Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in April and passed through the Suez Canal at the end of May, ship-tracking data shows. An investigation by the AFP news agency found that the tanker had been stranded since early June near Oman’s al-Qibliyyah Island after it was rocked by an explosion, causing water to enter several sections of the vessel.The slick was concentrated around Oman’s Hallaniyat archipelago, where Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said established a marine reserve last year to protect sensitive ecosystems home to diverse marine life, including rare sea turtles.The country’s environment authority said rapid action was needed to protect the area’s biodiversity, including “coral reefs, turtle nesting areas, marine habitats and coastal areas of ecological importance”.A report in the state-backed Oman-news-agency" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="36777" data-entity-type="organization">Oman News Agency quoted an official with the Transport Ministry as saying authorities were conducting aerial surveillance and had deployed divers.