[NY Post] Oil is oozing through the ocean near Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz, according to satellite photos released Friday, raising questions about the state of Iran’s central energy production hub located there.
Between May 6 and 8, the spill spread to an area of 20 square miles inside the channel, amounting to as much as 3,000 lost barrels of oil, reps for Orbital EOS, a global oil spill monitoring service told The New York Times.
It’s unclear what has caused the spill. The US has struck Kharg Island several times during its conflict with Iran, but the most recent actions took place in early April — long before the spill.
"Large volumes of crude [oil] stored in tankers are increasing spill risks. A possible rupture in the old undersea pipeline to Abuzar field is another source," suggested Dalga Khatinoglu, who spoke as an Iranian energy expert to the Times. |