The Cause: The 274-meter tanker, carrying roughly 800,000 to 1 million barrels of Russian crude oil bound for Asia, reported a series of unexplained onboard explosions/blasts on June 6, 2026, off the coast of Yemen. It was subsequently abandoned by its crew and drifted until it ran aground on June 30, 2026, on a rocky outcrop near Al Qibliyah Island, Oman.
The Leak: In monsoon type winds the vessel began heavily deteriorating and breaking up on the rocks. By August 2026, satellite analysis revealed that the visible oil slick had expanded exponentially, covering between 400 and over 2,000 square kilometers of the Arabian Sea
Shadow Fleet Status: The Caroline Bezengi is under international sanctions by the UK, US, and EU. It lacked valid flag registration (having lost its Cameroon flag) and was operating with opaque, un-recognized insurance, complicating the legal and financial structure of the response
Ambrey, the international maritime risk and response company, confirms that it has been engaged in the salvage of the stricken tanker, the Caroline Bezengi, located off the Omani coast in the vicinity of the Hallaniyat Islands in the Dhofar Governorate.
Impact on Oman’s Coastline: By mid-August 2026, the oil spill officially reached the mainland Omani coastline. Heavy crude oil has fouled beaches and rocky shores across a 12-to-40-kilometer stretch of the central coast, heavily impacting areas around Ras Madrakah and Masirah Island.
The ship ran aground directly within the Al Hallaniyat Islands Nature Reserve. Environmental groups have warned that the spill poses a catastrophic threat to a highly sensitive marine ecosystem. Threatened wildlife includes:
Response and Salvage Operations
The Omani Ministry of Transport and Environment Authority, alongside the British maritime security and salvage firm Ambrey, have been actively working on containment and beach cleanups. However, operations have been severely hindered by the annual Khareef monsoon season, which brought 40-knot winds and treacherous 4-meter waves that made approaching the wreckage by air or sea incredibly dangerous.
Ambrey has been appointed as the salvor. They are working diligently with all relevant stakeholders, including within the Sultanate of Oman, and has contracted the support of a leading international oil spill response company.
Ambrey has been mobilised as part of a significant international response including salvage vessels, aircraft and an experienced team of specialist personnel with over 100 tons of equipment. Salvage vessels to support the operation are on seen and other en route and will be on scene shortly. Specialist personnel have already boarded the vessel with the support of the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) to assess conditions onboard and commence cargo and vessel stabilisation. The “Khareef” – the annual monsoon that affects the Dhofar region has made this an
extremely challenging offshore environment, with extreme adverse weather and sea conditions influencing vessel stability, safety and the pace of operations as well as access to the site.
Ed Wollaston, Director of Global Response at Ambrey, commented:
“This is an extremely challenging situation, compounded by adverse weather conditions associated with the Khareef monsoon. However, we have deployed the leading experts in each aspect of the response and have mobilised the appropriate supporting equipment, aircraft and vessels. We are working around the clock to mitigate the environmental impact of the situation. Ambrey is grateful for the support of the Omani state, including The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, the Environment Authority and the RAFO, which continues to be outstanding.
We will provide further updates in due course.
More details at:
https://ambrey.com/ambrey-caroline-bezengi-salvage-operations/
Expect more of this type of operation as there are now over 300 tanker casualties worldwide; many of these in a disputed or conflict zones like the Strait of Hormuz or Black Sea.