Oil slick identified in Sentinel-1 satellite imagery [Telepix provided]

Telepix, a company specializing in space artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, announced on the 12th that an analyzed satellite image of the waters near Kharg Island, Iran's crude oil export hub, shows that observed band-shaped anomalies are highly likely to be actual marine oil slicks.

Recent confirmation of crude oil spill indications in the waters near Kharg Island has led to speculation that the oil may have been discharged due to infrastructure damage or storage capacity issues, as Iran's crude oil exports are blocked by U.S. sanctions on the Strait of Hormuz.

Telepix stated that this analysis was conducted on the 8th following an urgent request from a client.

Oil slick captured in Sentinel-2 optical imagery [Telepix provided]

In the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery taken by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Sentinel-1 on the 6th, a phenomenon of reduced sea surface reflection signals, typically observed in oil layers, was confirmed.

The company explained that this is "sea surface smoothing," which occurs when an oil film on the sea surface weakens wave action.

Optical imagery from Sentinel-2 observed reflection patterns characteristic of a thick oil layer in the same location.

Analysis of satellite-based maritime wind data also confirmed wind speeds in the area to be over 8 meters per second, suggesting a low probability of misinterpreting natural phenomena occurring in low-wind conditions as an oil slick, the company explained.

Through simulations, Telepix predicted the potential movement path of the oil slick over seven days, concluding that it is likely to move and spread throughout the Persian Gulf, carried by ocean currents and wind.

"The characteristics of the same location and shape were simultaneously confirmed in both SAR and optical imagery, and the results of wind speed and current flow analysis were consistent," said Kwon Da-rong-sae, Chief Data Scientist at Telepix. "As Kharg Island is Iran's core crude oil export hub, this analysis is significant as a case of rapidly detecting and analyzing anomalies linked to the global marine and energy supply chain using satellite data."

Simulation of oil slick movement over 7 days based on Sentinel-1 imagery [Telepix provided]