10 of the biggest oil spills in history
Paola Rosa-Aquino
- Oil spills can happen when pipelines rupture, ships collide, or drilling rigs explode.
- Spills can wreak havoc on the health of marine life and the environment for years after the fact.
10. The Odyssey oil spill released 40.7 million gallons of oil
On November 10, 1988, the oil tanker Odyssey was in the North Atlantic off the coast of Canada. An explosion onboard caused it to sink, spilling an estimated 40.7 million gallons of oil into the ocean.
9. The MT Haven tanker oil spill released 45 million gallons of oil
On April 11, 1991, a massive explosion ripped through the MT Haven. Estimates suggest it spilled more than 45 million gallons of crude oil into the Mediterranean.
8. The Amoco Cadiz oil spill released 69 million gallons of oil
The tanker Amoco Cadiz ran aground off the coast of northern Brittany in France on March 16, 1978. It ultimately gushed 69 million gallons of oil into the ocean, according to Reuters.
7. The Castillo de Bellver oil spill released 79 million gallons of oil
On August 6, 1983, supertanker Castillo de Bellver caught fire about 70 miles northwest of Cape Town, South Africa. It resulted in the spill of 79 million gallons of oil, according to Reuters.
6. The ABT Summer oil spill released 80 million gallons of oil
On May 28, 1991, the Liberian oil tanker ABT Summer exploded 900 miles off the coast of Angola, in Africa. NPR reported the explosion resulted in the spill of 80 million gallons of oil.
5. The Komi Pipeline oil spill released 84 million gallons of oil
A ruptured pipeline in the Russian Arctic spilled an estimated 84 million gallons of oil during the summer and fall of 1994, according to newspaper reports at the time.
4. The Atlantic Empress oil spill released 90 million gallons of oil
On July 19, 1979, the SS Atlantic Empress and the Aegean Captain collided in the Caribbean during a tropical storm. NPR reported the collision spilled some 90 million gallons of oil.
3. The Ixtoc I oil spill released 140 million gallons of oil
On June 3, 1979, the Ixtoc I oil rig exploded in the Bay of Campeche, on the Gulf of Mexico. It released an estimated 140 million gallons of oil into the ocean.
2. BP's Deepwater Horizon oil spill released 206 million gallons of oil
On April 20, 2010, BP's Deepwater Horizon, a semi-submersible drilling rig, exploded, burned, and subsequently sank in the Gulf of Mexico. Eleven people were killed, according to NOAA.
The five-month spill leaked approximately 206 million gallons of oil. According to estimates from The Center for Biological Diversity, 82,000 birds, 25,900 marine mammals, and a "vast" number of fish were harmed or killed.
1. The Persian Gulf oil spill released 380 million to 520 million gallons of oil
In January 1991, during the Gulf War, up to 520 million gallons of oil poured into the Persian Gulf as Iraqi troops withdrew from Kuwait, setting fire to oil wells.
Researchers said the slick of oil across 4,000 square miles was 4 inches thick.
Estimates suggest approximately 30,000 birds were killed due to the spill.
In five decades, at least 44 oil spills have affected US waters, according to NOAA.
Every year, thousands of oil spills occur. NOAA is the agency tasked with responding to and cleaning up the mess.
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