Oman details oil spill after Caroline Bzenege incident off its coast

Omani authorities said on Monday that an oil slick covering approximately 390 square kilometers has formed off the country’s coast, following damage to a sanctioned vessel carrying Russian crude oil.

Two maritime security sources said the crew of the vessel Caroline Bzenege reported the issue on June 8 near the port of Mukalla in southern Yemen, adding that initial assessments indicated an explosion had occurred on board.

In its first public disclosure of the environmental impact, Oman said on Monday it is working hard to address the oil spill in its waters near the Hallaniyat Islands off the southern Dhofar governorate.

The Omani Environment Authority said in a statement carried by the Oman News Agency that the oil slick covered this area based on the latest monitoring and technical analysis, including satellite imagery.

The statement added that the slick extends northeast of the Hallaniyat Islands toward the mainland coast, coming as close as seven kilometers from shore at its nearest point.

A Reuters analysis of satellite images, conducted with shipping experts, showed that the spill from the 274-meter-long stranded vessel was still spreading at the end of last month, raising concerns about potential environmental damage.

The cause of the damage to the vessel remains unclear, and Oman has not provided an explanation.

Shipping data revealed that the vessel was loaded with Russian crude before its voyage. Its last transmission via the Automatic Identification System (AIS) was on June 11 off the coast of Yemen.

Russia often uses aging, poorly maintained tankers—known as its shadow fleet—to circumvent Western sanctions on its oil exports.

The European Union and the United Kingdom have imposed sanctions on the Caroline Bzenege for what they described as its involvement in transporting fuel from Russia.