BEIRUT/LONDON, July 31 (Reuters) – An oil tanker facing sanctions is leaking oil off the coast of Oman, and the spill has recently worsened, raising concerns about potential environmental harm to the coastline, according to satellite imagery and shipping experts.
The Caroline Bezengi loaded Russian oil at the port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea before starting its latest journey, as per ship tracking data.
It first reported issues on June 8 near the southern Yemeni port of Mukalla, with two maritime security sources noting that there were initial indications of an explosion on board.
A satellite image from July 28 shows a dark oil slick around the ship and lighter areas to the north of al-Qibliyyah island, which is near Oman and within a protected marine zone.
“The darker oil slicks suggest that at least one of the hulls on the crude oil storage ship appears to be damaged, leading to leaks of crude oil,” said Wim Zwijnenburg, a remote-sensing expert from the Dutch group Pax, after reviewing the images.
Oman's monsoon season, which typically reaches its peak in July and August, can create severe weather that might rapidly spread the oil, Zwijnenburg added.
SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW VESSEL MAY BE LISTING
Reuters confirmed that the ship in the recent satellite images is indeed the Caroline Bezengi, based on its deck design and paint, which matched past images of the vessel, currently under European Union and UK sanctions for its role in transporting Russian oil.
The owner's name, listed as Shanghai-based Rentoor Shipmanagement, could not be reached for comments.
Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications, and IT did not respond to requests for comments.
An expert in oil tankers who looked at the satellite photos suggested the vessel may be tilting. Other maritime sources warned that the ship might eventually break apart.
“Currently, the vessel has not broken up. Authorities are in discussions on how to manage safety and environmental risks,” a spokesperson for the U.N. International Maritime Organization (IMO) stated earlier this week, noting that they are closely monitoring the situation.
Russia often employs older, poorly maintained tankers in its "shadow fleet" to evade Western sanctions on its oil exports.
It remains uncertain whether the damage was due to a potential attack from Ukraine, which has targeted Russian-linked tankers, or related to conflicts in the Middle East.