Gulf states to hold talks on huge oil spill

April 4, 1983

Oil pollution experts were set to hold crisis talks on combatting a giant oil slick in the Gulf. An oil slick the size of New Jersey oozed on to the beaches of Qatar. The oil is gushing from two Iranian wells, one damaged accidentally and one in Iran's war with Iraq. That conflict is complicating any cleanup, and it was not known whether the talks here would be attended by Iraq, which has not given safe-conduct to repair crews waiting to cap the two Iranian wells.