BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 14. UK-based maritime risk and response company Ambrey has begun efforts to contain an oil spill from the tanker Caroline Bezengi, which ran aground off Oman’s coast and is threatening marine wildlife.
Ambrey said it had been contracted to salvage the Russian-linked shadow fleet tanker and prevent further leakage. Its personnel boarded the vessel with assistance from the Omani air force to assess its condition before beginning stabilisation work.
“This is an extremely challenging situation, compounded by adverse weather conditions associated with the Khareef monsoon,” Ambrey’s global response director Ed Wollaston said.
The company has not yet provided an estimate of how long the salvage operation will take or how much it will cost.
Satellite imagery indicates that oil leaking from the tanker has spread across hundreds of square kilometres amid stormy weather, threatening a protected marine area.
Environmental experts have warned that the incident could develop into an unprecedented ecological disaster if the vessel sinks or breaks apart and releases its entire cargo.
The Caroline Bezengi ran aground near Qabiliyah Island in southwestern Oman following an explosion of unclear origin in early June. Its cargo was previously estimated at more than 800,000 barrels of oil.
