Oil spill spanning hundreds of km² at the coast of Oman: Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB) reveals the critical shallow-water area to support a safe salvage operation of the grounded tanker.

Oil from a “dark” vessel endangers marine ecosystem

On 11 June, the last AIS signal from the tanker ‘Caroline Bezengi’ was recorded off the coast of Yemen. According to media reports (gCaptain, Reuters, Al Jazeera Media Network,…) the vessel had loaded almost 1 million barrels of Russian crude oil at Novorossiysk (Black Sea) and was en route to Asia.

Later in June, the vessel – disabled and unmanned – ran aground on rocks southwest of Al Qibliyyah, Oman. The uninhabited island is part of the Al Hallaniyat archipelago, within a marine protected area. Nearly all of the vessel’s cargo tanks were breached.

SDB overlay of Jazirat Al Qibliyyah, Oman. Source: Vantor / EOMAP.

Satellite Data Delivers Critical Shallow-Water Intelligence

Using very high resolution (VHR) satellite imagery from Vantor, EOMAP delivered SDB to Amaza Surveys on behalf of Mubarak Bridge Maritime (Mubarak Group, Dubai), which had offered to lead the salvage of the wrecked tanker. This is exactly the kind of intelligence salvage teams need to plan operations safely, particularly in insufficiently charted shallow waters.

Comparison of EOMAP SDB and the online Navionics chart around Jazirat Al Qibliyyah, Oman. Source: Amaza Surveys.

With the spill now spreading across more than 600 km² (Greenpeace currently estimates even 1.000 km²), we can only hope this data reaches the right hands soon.

Satellite-derived intelligence for safe navigation and maritime surveillance

In brief: At EOMAP, we use SDB not only to provide robust, up-to-date data on critical coastal areas. It also helps us track “dark vessels”, even when AIS data is suppressed or unavailable.

Contact

• Email Kim Knauer and our coastal team to learn more about how SDB supports maritime safety and salvage planning.
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