FX.co ★ World’s ten largest oil spills

Gulf War oil spill

The accident happened during the armed conflict between the Multinational Force (MNF) and Iraq for the independence of Kuwait. This war had severe environmental consequences. In the last weeks of Kuwait invasion, Iraqi forces organized the discharge of raw materials into the Persian Gulf. About 8 million barrels of oil had been spilled into the gulf. This caused considerable damage to the ecology of the Persian Gulf and led to the death of 30 thousand birds. Black rain fell in Kuwait, Turkey, and the UAE. It took almost 10 years to overcome the consequences of the disaster.

Deepwater Horizon oil spill

The spill of oil occurred on the Deepwater Horizon platform in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 causing the leakage of raw materials. The disaster is considered to be the largest oil spill in the US history. Eleven men were killed when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded. About 5 million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. The consequences of the disaster affected all US states that had access to the Gulf of Mexico, particularly Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. 189 dead turtles, birds and other animals were found on the coast.

Ixtoc I oil spill

The accident took place at the Ixtoc 1 oil well in 1979. It led to an extensive oil spill. About 30 thousand barrels of oil per day leaked from the well at the beginning of the disaster. The leak was finally stopped only in 1980. The oil slick covered a large part of the Gulf of Mexico’s shore. About 6 thousand tonnes of oil were washed up on Mexican beaches, and about 120 thousand tonnes sank to the bottom of the gulf. It took animals years to cope with the aftermath of the disaster. Some species of birds were on the brink of extinction.

Nowruz oil spill

Nowruz oil field is located in Iran in the Persian Gulf. There, in 1983, several oil spills occurred. One of them took place when a tanker collided with a platform, others due to fire outbreak. Waves and corrosion caused large-scale oil spills at a rate of 1,500 barrels per day. The total volume of oil pollution in the Persian Gulf was approximately 260 thousand tonnes.

Atlantic Empress oil spill

In 1979, two tankers, Atlantic Empress and Aegean Captain, collided near Tobago Island in the Caribbean Sea. 26 crew members were killed by the explosion. The Atlantic Empress was on fire for a week then oil started spilling out of it at a speed of tens of tonnes per hour. It is the most significant disaster in the history of shipping. Around 287 tonnes of oil came into the Caribbean Sea. Fortunately, it did not reach the coast. However, catastrophes like that do not pass without a trace for the environment, ecologists warn.

ABT Summer oil spill

In 1991, ABT Summer tanker with 260 thousand tonnes of crude oil on board exploded. The accident took place 1400 kilometres away from the coast of Angola. The oil tanker was on fire for three days. The ship’s wreck was never found. Oil fell into the open sea and was carried away in different directions. According to experts, the accident had not had serious impact on the environment.

Amoco Cadiz oil spill

The oil tanker Amoco Cadiz ran aground not far from the coast of France. The crew was unable to bring the oil leak under control because of the storm. About 20 thousand birds died amid the catastrophe. Around 223 thousand tonnes of oil fell into the water, forming a stain of 2 thousand square kilometres which spread to 360 kilometres of the French coast.

MT-Haven oil spill

A super-tanker MT-Haven exploded and sank off the coast of Genoa, Italy. The vessel carried 1 million barrels of crude oil. Up to 50 thousand tons of raw materials were spilled into the Mediterranean Sea. A fire occurred with the flame rising to 100 metres in height. About 30-40 thousand tonnes of oil came into the sea after the explosion. The lion's share of the oil slick was collected, but the Mediterranean coast of Italy and France suffered from the oil pollution consequences over the next 12 years.

Exxon Valdez oil spill

The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in 1989. Some 260 thousand barrels of oil, or 40.9 million liters, licked in the sea. The spill has reached 28 thousand square meters. The volume of pollution amounted to about 2 thousand kilometres. Over the first few days after the accident, oil covered a huge area in Prince William Sound. Many local marine species (especially mollusks, herring and fur seals) were affected. The oil leak led to economic losses in Alaska: sporting events, fishing, and tourism were affected.

Castillo de Bellver oil spill

In 1983, the tanker Castillo de Bellver caught fire near Cape Town in South Africa. Later it fell into two parts and sank. Over 250 thousand tons of oil spilled into the Indian Ocean. However, the oil slick had not affected the coast of South Africa as the current took it far away from the shores.