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

A sanctioned tanker loaded with crude is leaving a growing trail of oil in protected waters off the coast of Oman, according to newly reviewed satellite images, as experts warn the stranded vessel could break apart during the region's rough monsoon season. Satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press show an oil sheen covering roughly 20 square kilometers, or about 8 square miles, around Dhofar's Qibliyah Island, part of Oman's protected Hallaniyat Islands. Wim Zwijnenburg estimated the tanker is carrying more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil and said recent imagery suggests at least one section of the hull has been breached. Reuters, citing maritime security sources, reported the vessel first ran into trouble on June 8 near the Yemeni port of Mukalla, where initial assessments suggested a blast may have occurred. The vessel has been sanctioned by the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada and Switzerland for allegedly transporting Russian oil as part of Moscow's so-called "shadow fleet" — a network of aging tankers used to bypass Western sanctions imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The 899-foot, Cameroon-flagged Caroline Bezengi has been stranded off Oman's southern coast since June after its crew reported an onboard explosion, per maritime news outlets. "The last few days, the imagery indicates an increase in oil coming out, as the size of the sheen is growing," said Wim Zwijnenburg (PAX). "There is a serious risk of a much larger oil disaster," said Nina Noelle, Greenpeace Germany. Oman's transport ministry ordered the vessel's owners to remove the ship and its cargo by July 23; unclear whether deadline was met. The U.N. International Maritime Organization is monitoring; the vessel has not broken apart.