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Ambrey Leads Response After Caroline Bezengi Oil Spill Spreads

8/13/2026

Summary

Ambrey Leads Salvage

Ambrey leads a salvage operation to stabilize Caroline Bezengi tanker after it ran aground near the Hallaniyat Islands on June 30.
The vessel, carrying 800,000 barrels of sanctioned Russian crude, has spread oil over 2,000 sq km, threatening a 40-km stretch near Ras Madrakah and Masirah Island.
Omani Air Force teams have boarded with over 100 tonnes of equipment while Ambrey warns monsoon rain, fog and rough seas could break the hull and spill.

Summary

IOPC Funds Refuses

IOPC Funds said it will not cover cleanup because the spill is treated as an act of war.
The tanker Caroline Bezengi carries no Western insurance, leaving no insurer to fund the response.
Chinese owners Rentoor and Villar Shipmanagement and vessel’s Cameroon flag make it subject to sanctions.
Experts warn the spill could release 40-50 million gallons of oil, comparable to Exxon Valdez disaster, causing liability gaps for Russia’s fleet of uninsured ships.

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Ambrey Leads Salvage

Ambrey leads a salvage operation to stabilize Caroline Bezengi tanker after it ran aground near the Hallaniyat Islands on June 30.
The vessel, carrying 800,000 barrels of sanctioned Russian crude, has spread oil over 2,000 sq km, threatening a 40-km stretch near Ras Madrakah and Masirah Island.
Omani Air Force teams have boarded with over 100 tonnes of equipment while Ambrey warns monsoon rain, fog and rough seas could break the hull and spill.

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