Maritime Organization: Oil spill from grounded tanker will reach mainland Oman

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) said on Wednesday that it had been informed that an oil spill from the grounded tanker Caroline Bisingi would reach the mainland of the Sultanate of Oman.

The Omani government said on Monday that a crude oil spill from the grounded tanker off a nature reserve in the country had caused an oil slick covering an area of nearly 400 square kilometers. The spokesperson added that the tanker was carrying about 800,000 barrels of Russian oil bound for Asia, and had run aground off the sultanate’s coast on June 30, approximately 22 nautical miles from the Omani village of Sharbatat. He said, “Oil has been leaking from the tanker for some time. Monsoon winds have limited access to it, delaying rescue operations,” while confirming that the organization is closely monitoring the spill.