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A recent satellite image has revealed a significant oil spill covering approximately 1,500 hectares, or around 15 square kilometers, in the Gulf of Oman. This occurred after a collision between two large oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz. The incident took place in the early hours of Tuesday, June 17, roughly 22 to 24 nautical miles from the UAE's coast, close to Khor Fakkan.
The tankers involved in this mishap were the Adalynn and the Front Eagle. According to the UAE Ministry of Energy, both vessels sustained minor structural damage, and one of them experienced a fire that was quickly brought under control. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
However, despite official statements downplaying the situation, Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has raised alarms about a potential environmental disaster. They highlighted satellite data from Planet Labs, Lloyd’s List Intelligence, and Veson Nautical, suggesting that the 23-year-old tanker Adalynn might have been carrying about 70,000 tons of crude oil, even though it was supposedly in a ballast condition. This vessel is known to be part of a Russian shadow fleet, which is often criticized for operating older ships that frequently disregard safety protocols.
In a tweet, Navy Lookout provided an update stating, "The dark fleet tanker MV Adalynn, with a capacity of 165,000 dwt, caught fire after being struck by another tanker, the MV Front Eagle, weighing 300,000 dwt, just south of the Strait of Hormuz early this morning. All 24 crew members of Adalynn were safely evacuated, with no casualties reported on the Front Eagle."
Greenpeace MENA is urging authorities to act quickly to contain the spill and assess the environmental impact. The organization emphasized that incidents like this pose a threat to marine ecosystems and disrupt food chains. They pointed out the critical need for better maritime monitoring and transparency in reporting from both governments and oil companies.
According to Windward, a maritime analytics firm, the Front Eagle experienced significant disruptions to its GPS and AIS systems prior to the collision, indicating an escalating maritime security issue in the region. In the last four days, nearly 970 ships in the Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz have faced navigation interference.
The UAE Ministry attributed the collision to a navigational error, though the growing regional tensions are also under the microscope. This incident occurred just days after Israeli airstrikes on Iran, which has raised concerns over potential disruptions to oil shipments in the area. The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial global oil route, with around 20 million barrels of oil—nearly one-fifth of worldwide consumption—passing through it daily, according to figures from the US Energy Information Administration.
Officials from the Russian consulate in Dubai confirmed that the crew of the Adalynn, which includes seven Russian nationals, has been safely relocated to a hotel in Fujairah. Frontline, the company that owns the Front Eagle, has announced its decision to refrain from accepting new contracts that require transit through the Strait of Hormuz. During a maritime finance conference in New York, the CEO of Frontline described the encounter with the tanker from the shadow fleet as troubling, yet he noted that a more severe crisis was averted.
Greenpeace emphasized that incidents like this underscore the urgent need to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, aiming for a safer environment and enhanced global security.
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