A sanctioned oil tanker grounded off Oman appeared to be sinking further and leaking crude into the Arabian Sea, according to satellite imagery assessed around the historical event date of August 8, 2026. The Caroline Bezengi was carrying nearly one million barrels when it became stranded near Qibliyah Island after its crew reported an explosion on June 8.
Images dated August 5 showed the 247-metre vessel partly submerged and lower in the water than it had appeared on July 31. An oil sheen extended northeast from the ship, surrounding the island and reaching its shoreline. The Associated Press reviewed the imagery as environmental groups tracked a rapid expansion of the affected area.
Wim Zwijnenburg, an environmental specialist with the Dutch organization PAX, estimated that the sheen covered almost 800 square kilometres by August 7. Greenpeace Germany offered a sequence of lower earlier estimates: about 45 square kilometres through July 26, roughly 150 square kilometres by August 2 and approximately 600 square kilometres in imagery from August 4. Zwijnenburg said newer imagery on Saturday showed the sheen becoming harder to see as weather diluted and dispersed it.
The affected waters form part of the Arabian Sea reserve, a protected marine area that supports endangered species, including petrels and the rare Arabian Sea humpback whale. The region was also in its peak monsoon season, adding uncertainty to the tanker's condition and the movement of oil. Greenpeace warned that deterioration of the ship could produce a much larger environmental emergency and called for immediate containment planning.
The Caroline Bezengi is believed to belong to the network commonly described as Russia's shadow fleet. Britain and the European Union sanctioned it for transporting Russian oil. Tracking data from SynMax Maritime showed that it departed Novorossiysk on Russia's Black Sea coast in May. Reports cited by Greenpeace indicated that its owners were based in Shanghai.
Oman's government said it was responding through satellite monitoring, field surveys and technical modelling. Authorities said teams were ready to take measures addressing possible harm to marine life and risks to navigation. It remained unclear whether responders had reached the tanker or begun salvage work and leak control.
The available imagery documented both a worsening list and a widening spill, but did not establish how much crude had escaped from the cargo. The changing estimates described the surface area of visible sheen, not a confirmed volume. Those distinctions remained important as authorities evaluated whether weather-driven dispersion was reducing the immediate slick or making its environmental impact harder to trace. Salvage progress was not confirmed.
