--- title: "Giant Oil Tanker Runs Aground in Marine Nature Preserve, Spills Nonstop for Weeks" description: "A massive tanker carrying 800,000 barrels of crude ran aground weeks ago, and has been spewing oil ever since." date: "2026-08-13" modified: "2026-08-13" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/science-energy/giant-oil-tanker-leaking-oil-oman-nature-preserve" categories: - "Environment" - "Pollution" - "Science & Energy" --- # Giant Oil Tanker Runs Aground in Marine Nature Preserve, Spills Nonstop for Weeks ![A photo illustration showing a tanker overlaid with an oil spill.]() *Shutterstock / Futurism* When an oil tanker runs aground in a contested war zone, does it make a sound? Evidently not — at least not the kind of sound anyone could hear for over six weeks, the amount of time the *Caroline Bezengi* oil tanker has reportedly been spewing oil into waters off the southeastern coast of Oman. According [to *Reuters*](), the vessel first ran into trouble on June 8, after an unspecified "blast" literally rocked the boat. It then ran aground near the [Al Hallaniyat Islands]() on June 30, an Omani marine nature reserve and proposed United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) natural heritage site. The *Bezengi* was reportedly on its way to India with some 800,000 barrels of Russian oil, though the vessel is currently flagged to Cameroon, [per VesselFinder.com](). Speaking to *Reuters*, John Amos, an oil spills specialist and CEO of the environmental nonprofit SkyTruth, says the oil spill now spans over 2,000 square kilometers. The resulting mess has been exacerbated by a lack of clear oversight and emergency response, as it's unclear who should ultimately bear responsibility. "A nightmare scenario is there's no adequate response to keep the worst ‌from happening," Amos explained. If no country is willing to take action, he says the vessel would "continue to break up under the steady onslaught of wind and waves and... lose the entire cargo," resulting in "a spill upwards of 40 to 50 million gallons." **More on toxic leaks:** *[Meta's AI Data Center Caught Leaking Deadly Bacteria Into Water Town Uses for Irrigation]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()