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Oman oil spill spreads to beaches; public urged to stay away from contaminated area
The observations have led experts to believe that the slick could expand in the coastal stretch, spreading towards the southern beaches of Masirah Island in the coming hours
- PUBLISHED: Wed 12 Aug 2026, 7:34 PM UPDATED: Wed 12 Aug 2026, 8:00 PM
Oman on August 12 confirmed that the oil spill from the 'Caroline Bezengi' tanker had now spread to its shores, with monitoring work underway.
In a statement, the Sultanate's environmental authority clarified that today's results showed that some beaches in the Ras Madrakah area were affected by oil contamination.
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The observations have led experts to believe that the slick could expand in the coastal stretch, reaching up to 40 km in length in the same area, also possibly spreading towards the southern beaches of Masirah Island in the coming hours within a range of 10 to 20 km.
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Fishermen, beachgoers, and the general public have been urged to not approach any spotted materials or pollutants and to immediately report them to the competent authorities.
On August 6, the transport ministry had revealed the sinking of an oil tanker near Oman's Al-Qibliyyah Island, part of the Al Hallaniyat Islands archipelago in Dhofar. The grounding and oil spill threaten the island's rich marine life and natural ecosystem, with efforts underway to protect the environment and ensure safe navigation.
Few days later, it confirmed there was an oil spill and authorities were working on managing it in order to avoid environmental and public safety damage.
Initially, it began by spreading northeast of the Hallaniyat Islands towards the mainland coast, moving along the same path, with its observed extension reaching about 449 km.
At the time, the public was reassured that the oil slick did not threaten public safety and clear emergency plans had been activated to deal with all potential scenarios.
Officials also confirmed there was no cause for concern regarding vital facilities such as water desalination plants, fish farming projects, and economic and tourism systems located on the coasts, as the seawater was being continuously examined.
Currently, efforts are underway to conduct and execute monitoring, survey, and environmental handling operations, using technical monitoring means, satellite imagery, and numerical models to track the movement and spread of oil slicks and predict their potential landing sites.
Special focus has been given to areas prone to high environmental sensitivity.
The environment agency confirmed it will continue to publish official updates on the situation depending on developments, in order to ensure accurate and reliable information is provided to the public and media. It also urged the public to obtain information from official sources, and not circulate unapproved figures, maps or estimates.
Preserving ship's hull
Apart from containing the oil spill, efforts are also underway to identify the sources of the leak, maintain the integrity of the ship’s hull, and treat the leaks inside it.
The vessel is a crude oil tanker, sailing under the flag of Cameroon, according to Marine Traffic, and is reportedly 274.48 metres in length and 48 metres wide.
Technical teams from the ministry and various national bodies, along with technical specialists from a company are currently on ground working.
The secondary focus is on reducing the deterioration of the ship's condition and safely transfer oil cargo, after which the ship's hull will be salvaged while ensuring maritime safety requirements.
Operations include aerial surveillance, marine diving operations, continuous field monitoring, and developing technical solutions to safely transfer the ship's oil cargo outside, while reducing environmental risks.
Hallaniyat Islands
The Al Hallaniyat Islands are a remote group of five islands located about 40 kilometers off the southeastern coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea. Meanwhile, Al Hallaniyah — a popular tourist destination — is the largest and only inhabited island, known for its rich marine life, nature, and protected status.
The islands are proposed to be designated as a nature reserve with the UNESCO with the aim of conserving turtle nesting beaches, coral reefs and birds, and sustainable use of fish resources.
According to the UNESCO world heritage convention, the coastline of the island is characterised by a large diversity of coral reefs, fish and turtles that visit the island beaches to lay their eggs. Moreover, dolphins and whales can be seen daily. Al Hallaniyyat is also considered a safe place for birds to lay eggs where their food is guaranteed.
The islands are dominated by seabirds and particularly provide the only nesting sites in Oman and the Arabian Sea for Masked Booby. Other species include Socotra Cormorant, Sooty Gull, and Bridled Tern. Socotra Cormorant is known to only breed on these islands and nowhere else in Oman.
