A major international salvage operation has begun for MV Caroline Bezengi off Oman. Salvors are working to stabilize the tanker and contain an oil spill that has reached the coastline.
Maritime risk and response company Ambrey is coordinating the operation off Oman’s Dhofar coast. The company has also brought in an international oil spill response specialist. More than 100 tonnes of equipment, along with salvage vessels, aircraft and specialist teams, are being mobilized. Salvors have already boarded the tanker.
Salvors are therefore focused on stabilizing MV Caroline Bezengi and removing the remaining oil where possible.
The 25-year-old tanker ran aground at Al-Qibliyyah Island on June 30 after reporting problems off Yemen earlier in the month. Maritime sources said the initial incident may have involved an explosion. No party has claimed responsibility, and the circumstances remain unclear.
The sanctioned tanker is believed to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet”. It was carrying nearly 1 million barrels of Russian oil when it reported an explosion.
The immediate concern is the oil spill. Oman says the oil has reached its coastline after drifting northeast from Al-Qibliyyah Island. Satellite assessments reviewed by Reuters put the affected area at more than 2,000 square kilometres. Omani authorities have reported considerably lower figures.
The grounding occurred in an environmentally sensitive area with coral reefs and habitats for endangered species, including Arabian Sea humpback whales and turtles. The spill has also threatened the coastline around Ras Madrakah and potentially areas farther south.
Oman’s Khareef monsoon is further complicating the salvage operation. Heavy seas have restricted access to the tanker and delayed intervention. They also increase risks to personnel and equipment.
Environmental specialists have warned that structural failure could release much of the remaining cargo. Such a spill could approach the scale of the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster.
