Oman steps up efforts to contain oil spill

The Environment Authority, in close coordination with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology and other relevant national stakeholders, is continuing its comprehensive response to the grounding of the vessel Caroline Bezengi off the Hallaniyat Islands in Dhofar Governorate. The operation is being executed through an integrated national framework that combines technical spill remediation, vessel securing, and ongoing environmental monitoring, surveillance, and impact assessment, with the overarching objectives of mitigating incident-related risks, safeguarding the marine ecosystem, and ensuring the safety of maritime navigation.
The Environment Authority has confirmed that it is overseeing the incident through a fully integrated environmental monitoring, surveillance, and assessment system, involving specialised national technical teams and leveraging state-of-the-art surveillance technologies, satellite imagery, environmental modelling, and field surveys. These tools are being utilised to conduct continuous environmental evaluations, track the trajectory and spread of oil pollution, and identify priority zones for response and protective measures.
The authority further emphasised that the environmental response strategy is grounded in up-to-date scientific and technical data, alongside real-time monitoring results, while maintaining an ongoing assessment of potential risks to the marine environment, coastal areas, and ecologically sensitive habitats.
According to the latest monitoring and technical analyses, including high-resolution satellite image interpretation, oil pollution persists in the maritime area associated with the incident. A slick measuring approximately 390 square km has been detected, extending northeastward from the Hallaniyat Islands towards the mainland coast, and at its nearest point, is located roughly 7 km offshore.
The authority noted that continuous monitoring and image analysis reveal the slick is advancing along a consistent trajectory, with its observed extent along that path reaching approximately 449 km.
ASSESSMENT
Current modelling and assessment outputs indicate that the slick is generally drifting in a northeasterly direction, with a projected advance of around 121 km over the next 48 hours, based on prevailing marine and meteorological conditions at the time of model generation. The authority stressed that this constitutes a scientific projection rather than an actual observation, and that environmental models remain subject to revision in response to any fluctuations in wind patterns, ocean currents, and sea-state conditions.
Analytical findings further suggest that the denser concentrations of the pollution may be trending towards the approaches of Ras Madrakah, underscoring the need for sustained, intensive monitoring of marine and coastal zones of high environmental priority. The authority clarified that the detected slick area of approximately 390 square km does not correspond to the volume of oil discharged, but rather reflects the geographic extent over which pollution has been observed in the most recent monitoring cycle.
The authority said that the correlation between slick surface area and actual oil quantity cannot be established directly, as it is contingent upon a range of technical variables, including the thickness of the oil layer, the physicochemical properties of the oil, the degree of natural dispersion, marine current dynamics, wind direction and speed, wave action, and general sea conditions.
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
It was further noted that the slick's area, configuration, and position are inherently subject to change between successive observations due to ongoing movement, spreading, and natural dispersion processes. Accordingly, the recorded figures are treated as technical snapshots tied to specific observation times, rather than as static or definitive values.
With regard to the persistence and detectability of the pollution, the Environment Authority indicated that current monitoring confirms the continued presence of oil on the sea surface, with ongoing movement, morphological evolution, and dispersion driven by prevailing marine and atmospheric conditions.
Specialised Environment Authority teams remain actively engaged in tracking changes in the slick's extent, position, and drift direction, comparing successive observations to determine rates of change and dispersion patterns, thereby facilitating timely and evidence-based decision-making. Data is subjected to continuous analysis to ascertain whether observed slicks constitute continuous accumulations or fragmented patches resulting from dispersion and natural breakdown processes.
The Environment Authority reaffirmed its commitment to issuing official updates on the environmental status of the incident as developments warrant, thereby ensuring the dissemination of accurate, verifiable information to the public and media. It reiterated the importance of relying exclusively on official sources and cautioned against the circulation of unauthorised figures, maps, or estimates.
The authority further underscored that the protection of biological diversity, marine habitats, and environmentally sensitive areas remains a foremost priority in the incident response. Efforts are being directed towards identifying zones most vulnerable to impact and correlating them with pollution drift trajectories, with particular emphasis on areas of high ecological value and sensitivity.
Assessment and monitoring activities encompass a broad spectrum of sensitive marine environments, islands, and habitats, including coral reef systems, turtle nesting grounds, marine ecosystems, and coastal zones of ecological significance. Risk assessments are being continuously refined in line with changes in the pollution's location, extent, and directional movement.
HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIOS
The Environment Authority stressed the critical importance of distinguishing between empirically observed data and outputs derived from modelling projections or hypothetical scenarios. It noted that certain data concerning the scale, trajectory, extent, and potential ecological consequences of the pollution may be subject to refinement as monitoring and analytical efforts progress. Official information is accordingly updated in line with the most current, documented technical findings.
The authority further cautioned that any circulating estimates regarding the volume of oil spilled should not be regarded as final or authoritative unless substantiated by technically validated assessments from the competent authorities.
In a related context, the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology reported that operations are being conducted in collaboration with all specialized technical teams from relevant national entities, supplemented by the expertise of a contracted specialist company. These efforts are directed towards conducting technical inspections and ongoing assessments of the vessel's hull condition and structural damage, pinpointing the sources of leakage, and formulating appropriate engineering interventions to prevent further hull deterioration and address leak points — including the safe transfer of the oil cargo — followed by the subsequent recovery of the hull, in full compliance with maritime safety requirements.
Dr Abdullah Ali al Amri, Chairman of the Environment Authority, affirmed that monitoring, surveillance, and environmental assessment results provide precise and reliable confirmation that there are no indications of impact on critical infrastructure, including seawater desalination plants, the aquaculture project, and the economic and tourism systems situated along the coastlines. He noted that seawater quality is subject to ongoing testing by the Environment Authority's specialised technical teams.
He further stated that clearly defined emergency response plans have been activated to address a range of potential scenarios, thereby ensuring robust protection against any possible effects. He observed that, while the challenging climatic conditions have rendered technical spill response operations more difficult, they have concurrently contributed to mitigating direct environmental impact by driving oil slicks away from Omani shores.
NO CAUSE FOR CONCERN
He reiterated that environmental monitoring, surveillance, and assessment findings conclusively and reliably demonstrate that there is no cause for concern regarding critical infrastructure, such as seawater desalination facilities, the aquaculture project, and coastal economic and tourism systems, as seawater is continuously sampled by the Environment Authority's technical teams, with no slicks or impacts posing a threat to public safety. Comprehensive emergency response protocols have been activated to address all contingencies and ensure protection from any potential repercussions. He added that aerial surveillance is being conducted daily to monitor oil slicks and track their movement across designated areas.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Abdullah al Rawahi, Director General of Maritime Affairs at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, pointed out that the adverse climatic conditions of the autumn monsoon season have significantly complicated technical spill response operations. He indicated that technical personnel from the ministry, various relevant national entities, and specialist consultants from the engaged company are intensifying their efforts to accurately identify leakage sources, preserve hull integrity, and manage internal breaches.
He stated that current operations encompass aerial surveillance, subsea diving inspections, continuous field monitoring and observation, and the development of technical solutions for the safe offloading of the vessel's oil cargo. These measures aim at minimising the risks posed by the incident, ensuring navigational safety, and protecting the marine environment.
He explained that the immediate priority is to halt ongoing pollution and address its sources, secure the vessel, and transfer its oil cargo under the highest practicable safety standards, while safeguarding the wellbeing of response personnel, the marine environment, and maritime traffic in the area — all within the framework of a coordinated national response involving multiple entities, each operating within its designated mandate.
He further reported that efforts have included the coordination of necessary air, maritime, and logistical support to facilitate the timely deployment of technical teams and equipment to the vessel's location, alongside ongoing coordination with the Environment Authority to utilise satellite monitoring outputs, aerial reconnaissance, and marine and field surveys in determining operational priorities and evaluating the risks surrounding the incident.
Technical teams from all relevant entities are operating around the clock, employing temporal satellite image comparison to track pollution movement, conducting aerial monitoring and reconnaissance of priority marine and coastal zones, performing marine and field surveys to verify actual conditions on the sea surface and along the shorelines, and utilising environmental modelling to forecast pollution drift and dispersion patterns. These efforts are integrated with analyses of wind, current, and wave data, correlated with environmental sensitivity mapping, and applied to continuous risk-level assessments for marine areas and habitats. These tools function in an integrated manner to furnish an up-to-date overview of the environmental situation, with model outputs being systematically compared against observed changes in the field and via satellite.
It is noteworthy that the Environment Authority holds the lead responsibility for managing and coordinating the environmental response to the incident under the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan, in collaboration with the relevant national entities, namely the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology; the Royal Air Force of Oman; the Royal Oman Police – Coast Guard; the Royal Navy of Oman; the Maritime Security Centre; the National Emergency Management Centre; the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources; the Ministry of Interior – Municipal Sector; the Ministry of Economy; and the Ministry of Finance — each acting within its respective area of competence. - ONA