BEIRUT (AP) 鈥� A British company said Thursday it has been hired to salvage a grounded Russian shadow fleet tanker off Oman’s coast and stop an oil spill that is threatening wildlife as it reaches the country’s shoreline following its dramatic spread in recent weeks.
Satellite images have shown that oil from the tanker Caroline Bezengi has over hundreds of square kilometers during stormy weather, endangering a marine protected area. The region’s 鈥淜hareef鈥� monsoon season peaks in July and August.
Ambrey, a UK-based maritime risk and response company, said its personnel boarded the vessel with help from the Omani air force to assess its condition before stabilizing it.
The vessel has been grounded off Qabiliyah Island in southwestern Oman following an explosion of unclear cause in early June. Its cargo previously has been estimated at more than 800,000 barrels.
Satellite images also have shown that the tanker is increasingly , and experts have warned of an unprecedented environmental disaster if the vessel sinks or breaks open and leaks its entire cargo.
鈥淭his is an extremely challenging situation, compounded by adverse weather conditions associated with the Khareef monsoon,鈥� Ambrey’s global response director Ed Wollaston said in a statement. The company did not immediately have any estimates of how long the salvage operation would take or cost.
Oman鈥檚 Environment Authority said Wednesday the oil spill has reached the shores of Ras Madrakah, more than 200 kilometers (more than 120 miles) north of Qabiliyah Island. Authorities said they estimated the spill could reach more than 100 kilometers further north, to Masirah Island.
Hanen Keskes, a campaigner for the environmental group Greenpeace, said it is 鈥渆xtremely concerning鈥� that the oil has spread from an offshore spill to the shoreline where it can contaminate coastal sediments.
“It can make the cleanup significantly more complex than containment at sea,鈥� she said. 鈥淓ven after the slick has been contained and removed, the environmental impact can last for years.”
The marine protected area of Qabiliyah Island includes coral reefs, seagrass meadows and endangered turtles, and offers breeding sites for migratory birds. The area is also home to the rare Arabian Sea humpback whale.
The remote area lacks infrastructure, making the salvage and containment more challenging and requiring more safety measures, Keskes said.
The 247-meter (899-foot) Caroline Bezengi is believed to be part of Russia鈥檚 鈥渟hadow fleet鈥� and has been sanctioned by the British government and the European Union for carrying cargoes of Russian oil.
It had left the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, in Russia, in May, according to geospatial data tracking company SynMax Maritime. The vessel鈥檚 owners are believed to be Shanghai-based. The vessel is unflagged, and it is not clear if it is insured.
It is only one of the affecting the region. Off the coast of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian authorities are cleaning up an oil spill off of Qeshm Island that has been attributed to the conflict between Iran and the United States.
Images distributed by Iran鈥檚 semi-official news agency ISNA show oil damage to the sandy beaches of Qeshm. It is not immediately clear what caused the spill.
Iran has said it should receive compensation for its efforts to contain the damage. But maritime tracking firm TankerTrackers.com posted satellite images on X saying it appears the spill was caused by an Iranian attack on a bulk container ship off of Oman. The spill drifted across the strait to Iran.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
