Oil slick reported near Sohar Port

Muscat: An oil slick covering an area of eight nautical miles was reported near the Port of Sohar. The authorities are implementing an emergency plan to combat the pollution, preventing it from reaching the beach.

The Environment Authority confirmed that the source of the pollution is still unknown and that the procedures for the investigation are still ongoing and it is hoped that all the measures taken will contribute to reducing this pollution despite the technical challenges that may accompany the implementation.

The Environment Authority said in a statement, “The specialists at the Pollution Operations Control Center at the Environment Authority received a report from the MEMAC Mutual Aid Center stating the presence of a slick of petroleum products north of Sohar Port, covering an area of eight nautical miles, and it is expected to reach Sohar Port and the adjacent beaches."

Accordingly, the port was alerted to take precautionary measures and to take the necessary measures to combat pollution according to its emergency plan.

"The specialists also monitored the conditions of tracking the oil slick in coordination with the Royal Oman Police (Coast Guard) to conduct a survey in the affected area to avoid its arrival to the shore, and due to the movement of winds and waves, their arrival became expected, and accordingly the port took immediate measures to combat the expected pollution," the Environment Authority added.

The Environment Authority has confirmed, "The National Plan for Combating Pollution Operations was activated and coordinated with the Royal Air Force of Oman to fly the Casa plane to conduct a survey in the affected area to find out the amount of oil, in addition to coordinating with the operations of Sohar Port to take control measures to reduce its impact on the neighboring areas."