7th Red Sea Oil Spill Since September Goes Virtually Unnoticed
Tafline Laylin | | Comment | Email this
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The seventh oil spill in the Red Sea since September, 2011 has gone virtually unnoticed. The most recent spill in Gamsha Bay, which has been attributed to General Petroleum Company, has received no additional press coverage after it was reported last week in Egypt Independent.
Both an onshore and offshore leak, it is particularly hazardous as large quantities of hydrogen sulfide gas are being released.
Director Hassan Abdel Salan said that the company is drilling an additional three wells to stem the leak, which appears to have been continuing over a period of several months, but blames Ministry of Environment researchers sent to evaluate the scene for failing to conduct thorough geophysical surveys.
Green Prophet has been unable to verify these reports but the local newspaper claims that General Petroleum has been fined $300,000 for their role in the spill. Even though Egypt is caught up in major political upheavals given the ongoing presidential race, if there is to be any hope of recovery, somebody ought to start paying serious attention to the country’s vulnerable natural resources.
Image credit: Contaminated Fish, Shutterstock
We should all keep an eye on the Levant this summer as it manages a severe energy crisis, because what is currently unfolding on a regional scale is likely to eventually take place internationally as well. Israel, Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Territories are all taxed by dwindling energy supplies and rising demand, and each country’s response to this dual challenge is worth noting.
Meged oil field, in Israel.
Forest in central Israel, as seen from Ein Karem
