Mauritius spill to have an impact far beyond its size on the oil industry

Compared to the biggest oil spills from tankers hauling as much as 300,000 tons of crude across the world's oceans, the volume of oil that spilled from the Wakashio is a drop in the ocean

Don’t dismiss the leak of oil from the MV Wakashio that ran aground last month on a reef off the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius so quickly. The volume lost may seem tiny, but its location, mixed with other pressures already faced by the oil industry, means that it will have an impact far beyond its size.

The empty bulk carrier was 11 days into a month-long voyage from Singapore to Brazil, where it was due to pick up a cargo, when it ran aground just a mile off the island’s southern tip on July 25. About three-quarters of the oil