13 Largest Oil Spills In History
Oil spills can happen anywhere; there is no predicting where they will happen or risk factors to look out for. And while oil spills of severe magnitude are rare and have even declined in frequency over the last 30 years, they still have devastating impacts that can last for decades. Below is a list of the 13 largest oil spills in history, which together have resulted in more than 1 billion gallons of oil to be dumped into the world's oceans. Clean-up of these oil spills is a long and arduous project that requires human intervention as well as nature itself. [8] The question is, how involved should people get?
 | ||||
| Click Image To Enlarge |
13. The Torrey Canyon Oil Spill (1967) - Scilly Isles, UK (A)
The Torrey Canyon supertanker was carrying 120,000 tons of oil when it struck a reef near the Scilly Isles of the United Kingdom, spilling 25-36 million gallons of oil spanning 270 square miles and contaminating 180 miles of coast land. In total more than 15,000 sea birds and other aquatic animals were killed.
12. The Sea Star Oil Spill (1972) - Gulf of Oman (B)
The Sea Star supertanker collided with another Tanker, causing the two vessels to catch fire. The Sea Star spilled more than 35 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Oman (off the coast of Pakistan and Iran) before sinking into the Gulf.
11. Odyssey Oil Spill (1988) - Nova Scotia, Canada (C)
This oil spill occurred off the coast if Newfoundland, causing more than 40 million gallons of oil to spill into the Atlantic Ocean.
10. M/T Haven Tanker Oil Spill (1991) - Genoa, Italy (D)
The M/T Haven tanker exploded off the Northern coast of Italy, leaking 45 million gallons of oil into the Mediterranean Sea over a span of 12 years before finally sinking.
9. ABT Summer Oil Spill (1991) - Angola (E)
The ABT Summer tanker exploded off the coast of Angola, spilling between 51 and 81 million gallons of oil into the ocean. The oil slick covered 80 square miles and burned for three days before the ship sank.
8. Amoco Cadiz Oil Spill (1978) - Portsall, France (F)
The Amoco Cadiz was caught in a winter storm that caused it to run aground and break in half. This resulted in 69 million gallons of oil spilling into the English Channel before the French sunk the ship.
7. Castillo de Bellver Oil Spill (1983) - Saldanha Bay, South Africa (G)
The Castillo de Bellver caught fire and drifted in the open sea until it broke in two. The ship’s stern sank along with the 31 million gallons of oil it was carrying, while the bow section was deliberately sunk later. In total, 79 million gallons of oil were spilled off the coast of South Africa.
6. Nowruz Oil Field Spill (1983) - Persian Gulf, Iran (H)
The oil spill was the result of a tanker collision with an oil platform, which collapsed upon impact and spewed 80 million gallons of oil into the Persian Gulf.
5. Kolva River Oil Spill (1983) - Kolva River, Russia (I)
A poorly maintained pipeline, which had been leaking for 8 months, caused this massive oil spill. 84 million gallons of accumulated oil were released that spread across 170 acres of streams, fragile bogs and marshland.
4. Atlantic Empress Oil Spill (1979) - Trinidad and Tobago (J)
The Atlantic Empress oil tanker was caught in a tropical storm off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago when it collided with the Aegean Captain. The damaged ship started losing oil and continued to leak 90 million gallons of oil it into the ocean before sinking.
3. Ixtoc 1 Oil Spill (1979) - Bay of Campeche, Mexico (K)
This spill involved an offshore oil well that was being drilled before a blowout occurred, causing the oil to ignite and the drilling rig to collapse. 10,000 to 30,000 barrels of oil gushed out of the well into the Gulf of Mexico a day for almost an entire year, resulting in 140 million gallons of spilled oil.
2. Gulf oil spill (2010) - Gulf of Mexico (L)
This accidental oil spill began when an oil well a mile below the surface of the Gulf blew out, causing an explosion on BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig. Oil gushed from the broken well for more than 85 days, oiled 572 miles of Gulf shoreline, and killed hundreds of birds and marine life. The 206 million gallons of oil and the 1.82 million gallons of dispersant used on this fragile ecosystem could devastate the Gulf coast for years to come.
1. Arabian Gulf/Kuwait (1991) - Persian Gulf, Kuwait (M)
The worst oil spill in history was deliberate: during the Gulf War, Iraqi forces attempted to prevent American soldiers from landing by opening valves at an offshore oil terminal and dumping oil from tankers. The oil resulted in a 4-inch thick oil slick that spread across 4,000 square miles in the Persian Gulf. In total, between 380 and 520 million gallons of oil were dumped into the Persian Gulf.
