Satellite images show evidence of oil leak spreading from sanctioned vessel near Oman

A sanctioned tanker loaded with crude is leaving a increasing way of lipid successful protected waters disconnected the seashore of Oman, according to recently reviewed outer images, arsenic experts pass the stranded vas could interruption isolated during the region's unsmooth monsoon season.

Satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press amusement an lipid sheen covering astir 20 quadrate kilometers, oregon astir 8 quadrate miles, astir Dhofar's Qibliyah Island, portion of Oman's protected Hallaniyat Islands. Dark patches of crude person besides reached the shoreline. Experts accidental the leak has worsened successful caller days, fueling fears that unsmooth upwind could trigger a overmuch larger spill.

"The past fewer days, the imagery indicates an summation successful lipid coming out, arsenic the size of the sheen is growing," Wim Zwijnenburg, an biology adept with the Dutch bid enactment PAX, told the AP.

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This outer representation from Planet Labs PBC shows crude lipid leaking and spreading from the sanctioned Suezmax tanker Caroline Bezengi grounded disconnected the seashore of Oman, connected Friday, July 31, 2026. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

He said the biggest hazard is that the vas could interruption isolated arsenic beardown winds and unsmooth seas during the yearly monsoon play proceed to lb the ship's hull.

The 899-foot, Cameroon-flagged Caroline Bezengi has been stranded disconnected Oman's confederate seashore since June aft its unit reported an onboard explosion, according to maritime quality outlets. Reuters, citing maritime information sources, reported the vas archetypal ran into occupation connected June 8 adjacent the Yemeni larboard of Mukalla, wherever archetypal assessments suggested a blast whitethorn person occurred. The origin has not been confirmed.

This outer representation from Planet Labs PBC shows crude lipid leaking and spreading from the sanctioned Suezmax tanker Caroline Bezengi grounded astatine Qibliyah Island, disconnected the seashore of Oman, connected Friday, July 31, 2026. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Ship-tracking information reviewed by Reuters showed the tanker had loaded Russian crude astatine the Black Sea larboard of Novorossiysk earlier its latest voyage. The vas has been sanctioned by the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada and Switzerland for allegedly transporting Russian lipid arsenic portion of Moscow's alleged "shadow fleet" — a web of aging tankers utilized to bypass Western sanctions imposed aft Russia's penetration of Ukraine.

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Zwijnenburg estimated the tanker is carrying much than 800,000 barrels of crude lipid and said caller imagery suggests astatine slightest 1 conception of the hull has been breached. Other maritime specialists who reviewed the images told Reuters the vas besides appears to beryllium listing, adding to concerns that it could yet interruption apart.

A outer representation shows an lipid slick adjacent to the Caroline Bezengi, a sanctioned vas disconnected the seashore of the Dhofar Governorate, Oman, July 28, 2026. (Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS)

The spill threatens a protected marine reserve successful the Arabian Sea that is location to endangered petrels and different uncommon wildlife. Greenpeace Germany warned that lipid has already polluted stretches of coastline and damaged the area's fragile ecosystem.

"With lipid seemingly continuing to leak and the tanker stranded successful a hard location, determination is simply a superior hazard of a overmuch larger lipid disaster, with adjacent much devastating consequences for the region's coastlines and marine ecosystems," Greenpeace Germany's Nina Noelle told the AP.

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The U.N.'s International Maritime Organization said earlier this week it is monitoring the situation, adding that portion the vas has not breached apart, authorities are continuing to measure the information and biology risks.

Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology ordered the vessel's owners to region the vessel and its cargo by July 23. It is unclear whether that deadline was met oregon whether the owners person responded.