A brief improvement in weather conditions around the grounded Aframax tanker Caroline Bezengi has opened a narrow window for potential
A brief improvement in weather conditions around the grounded Aframax tanker Caroline Bezengi has opened a narrow window for potential salvage operations, but worsening conditions forecast later this week could once again complicate efforts to contain the vessel and its continuing oil leak.
The tanker has been aground on rocks off Jazirat Al Qibliyyah, one of the Hallaniyat Islands off southwest Oman, since late June. Seasonal Khareef conditions in the area have eased in recent days, with wave heights that had reached around 13ft and southwesterly winds approaching 50 knots temporarily subsiding.
The respite is unlikely to last, however. Forecasts indicate that stormier seasonal conditions are expected to return by the end of the week. The Khareef season typically continues through the end of September, leaving a limited window for any intervention.
Oil continues to escape from grounded tanker
Satellite imagery from 11 September indicates that Caroline Bezengi continues to leak oil, with the apparent rate of discharge heavier than observed previously.
The resulting oil plume is moving northeast, broadly parallel to the Omani coastline. Some oil is expected to reach the mainland coast, while imagery suggests that beyond Ras Madrakah, the plume is turning further east into the northern Arabian Sea.
That trajectory raises concerns for coastlines farther east, potentially including Iran and Pakistan. There is currently no visible evidence of salvage activity or oil-recovery operations around Jazirat Al Qibliyyah. G
iven the difficult Khareef conditions, the lack of intervention is not unexpected.
The continuing leak adds urgency to the salvage challenge, particularly as the vessel remains exposed on the rocks and weather conditions are expected to deteriorate again.
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