Oman scrambles to contain 400-sq-km oil spill nearing coast and marine reserve

Oman's Environment Authority said on August 10 it is working to contain an oil spill of nearly 400 square kilometres from the stricken tanker Caroline Bezengi, now within 7 km of Oman's southern coast. The slick is concentrated around the Hallaniyat archipelago, where a marine reserve was established the previous year. The sanctioned vessel is believed to carry roughly one million barrels of crude.