Greenpeace publishes the map of pollution in the Black Sea: 226 oil and fuel spills detected in the last 4 years

October 31, 2025 – On the International Black Sea Day, Greenpeace Romania, in partnership with SkyTruth, launches the first interactive map based on satellite images showing the extent of oil and fuel spills in the Romanian part of the Black Sea.

Between April 29, 2022, and September 11, 2025, 226 oil spills were identified on the sea surface, covering a total area of 1,308 km², equivalent to approximately 5.5 times the area of Bucharest. Of these, 55 patches, totaling 162 km², appeared in protected areas, and 11 patches, with a total area of 112.8 km², can be attributed potentially to offshore oil and gas infrastructure. The map is available here. 

The overall picture is alarming: almost straight trails expose spills from moving ships along the main shipping corridors to and from the Bosphorus Strait, while wavy patches, following the wind and currents, appear in the vicinity of oil and gas infrastructure. The organization also notes a worrying concentration of spills in protected areas such as the Danube Delta and the “Southern lobe of Zernov’s Phyllophora field.”

“Oil spills are often underestimated and do not receive much attention. However, the discharge of wastewater contaminated with ship fuel and lubricants is still standard practice, unfortunately. It happens regularly and follows the main shipping routes in the region to and from the Bosphorus Strait. A new development is the detection of leaks whose potential source is oil and gas infrastructure. Such cases of pollution are rarely reported in official statistics.” stated Alin Tănase, Campaigner at Greenpeace Romania.

Greenpeace Romania points out that these discharges greatly reduce water quality, disrupt the food chain, and endanger marine fauna, with effects that can be both local and cumulative. This map will be used to present the overall situation in the Black Sea to the authorities as accurately as possible and to call for the implementation of concrete solutions to protect the marine environment.

”Using our Cerulean platform, SkyTruth collaborated with Greenpeace to verify over 200 oil slicks in the Romanian waters, originating from industrial traffic and offshore oil and gas infrastructure. After Cerulean’s AI model detected potential spills, our experts manually analysed each satellite image to confirm the presence of oil on the sea surface using specific indicators. We then assessed the most likely sources based on ship tracks and known infrastructure locations. 

Using satellite imagery to expand public transparency is essential to bringing accountability to the oil and gas sector. It’s important to note that these findings underestimate the magnitude of the pollution problem, due to gaps in the coverage provided by satellite imagery.” said John Amos, CEO and founder of SkyTruth.

Although satellite monitoring provides an unprecedented level of transparency, the results are a conservative estimate of the phenomenon due to inherent limitations of the images (weather conditions, satellite pass intervals). The organization calls for proactive investigations of cases in protected areas and spots correlated with oil and gas infrastructure, including independent technical audits of existing platforms.

The map uses satellite imagery recorded by the Sentinel-1 (SAR) satellite and processed by Cerulean (SkyTruth) to identify anomalies specific to oil slicks on the sea surface. All cases visible on the map have been validated by Greenpeace and SkyTruth experts.

Greenpeace is an independent organization that uses research, investigation, and public mobilization to protect the environment. SkyTruth uses satellite imagery, artificial intelligence, and public data to make hidden environmental problems visible, measurable, and actionable.

Media contact:

Alin Tănase – Campaigner, Greenpeace Romania, alin.tanase@greenpeace.org

Mihnea Matache – Spokesperson, Greenpeace Romania, mihnea.matache@greenpeace.org

Photo: A snapshot of Greenpeace Romania’s map (source: Greenpeace Romania)

Subscribe to Cross-border Talks’ YouTube channel! Follow the project’s Facebook and Twitter page! And here are the podcast’s Telegram channel and its Substack newsletter!

About The Author