(Photograph for illustration purpose only)
Muscat: The Environment Authority (EA) said that it was able to deal with an oil slick off Sohar Port, approximately at a distance of eight nautical miles.
The Sohar Port and Free Zone also confirmed that an unknown source of the Ocean Oil Spill has been observed just North of South al Batinah Governorate in the Sultanate territorial waters.
As soon as the Ocean Oil Spill was detected, it has been tracked, while coming closer and washing ashore on beaches of North al Batinah Governorate as well as within Sohar Port.
Accordingly, the emergency response plan is activated and the concerned departments began the process of cleaning the port and the ships affected by the unexpected ocean oil spill.
"For new vessels coming into the port, the risk for pollution is very limited as there are only a few areas where the oil has been observed and a mariners notice has been= send out to warn ships not to sail through the oil spills in the ocean. Therefore, nautical operations and vessel movements are not affected."
Sohar Port assures that it will put all its efforts into reducing the environmental damage and safeguarding operational continuity in collaboration with all related local authorities.
Abdullah bin Saeed al Busafi, an environmental affairs specialist at the pollution control center at EA, confirmed that he had detected simple oil spots scattered in the Sohar Port area, which were dealt with according to a response plan
An aerial survey carried out by the Royal Air Force of Oman (ROP showed areas of the oil slick at two different locations outside the Omani territorial waters, where the first spot was detected at 27 nautical miles and the second spot at a distance of 19 nautical miles east of Liwa.
The specialist at Pollution Operations Control Center that vital facilities in the region have been informed to take precautionary measures to protect their facilities and carry out control procedures.
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