A 1000km2 oil slick has formed off the coast of Syria after a fuel tank at the 670MW Banias power plant began leaking on 23 August. The plant is attached to the 140,000 b/d refinery that receives monthly Iranian crude supplies.
Syrian authorities have given contradictory estimates of the leaked fuel volume. On 30 August, Mahmoud Ramadan, head of Syria’s state power firm, said 15,900 tons of fuel had leaked, but other officials have given far lower figures. (CONTINUED - 175 WORDS)