The Worst Oil Spills and Disasters Ever

12. March 18,1967-The Torrey Canyon Oil Spill
Amount-25-36 million gallons
Where-Scilly Isles,UK

When laid down in the United States in 1959, the Torrey Canyon had a capacity of 60,000 tons but the ship was enlarged in Japan to 120,000 tons capacity. At the time of the accident it was registered in Liberia and owned by Barracuda Tanker Corporation, a subsidiary of Union Oil Company of California but chartered to British Petroleum.
The Torrey Canyon was one of the 1st super tankers.

11.December 19,1972-The Sea Star Spill
Amount-35.3 million gallons
Where-Gulf of Oman

The Sea Star was a South Korean supertanker that spilled some 115,000 tons of crude oil into the Gulf of Oman on December 19, 1972, after colliding with the Brazilian tanker Horta Barbosa. After the collision both vessels caught fire and were abandoned by their crews. Recovery of the Sea Star was attempted before the fires on board were extinguished, but following several explosions the vessel sank into the Gulf on December 24,1972

10.November 10,1988-Odyssey Oil Spill
Amount-40.7 million gallons
Where-Nova Scotia,Canada

This oil spill was off the coast of Newfoundland.

9. April 11,1991-M/T Haven Tanker Oil Spill
Amount-45 million gallons
Where-Genoa, Italy

6 people were killed,the ship sank and for the next 12 years the Mediterranean coast of Italy and France was polluted, especially around Genoa and southern France.

8. May 28,1991-ABT Summer Oil Spill
Amount-51-81 million gallons
Where-Off the coast of Angola

The ship exploded causing the massive oil leak.

7. March 16,1978-Amoco Cadiz Oil Spill
Amount-69 million gallons
Where-Portsall,France

On March 16, 1978, the oil tanker Amoco Cadiz got caught in a storm off the coast of Brittany, France, at the southern end of the English Channel.

It ran aground and began spilling oil. The site of the spill, along with inclement weather, complicated early clean-up efforts. In a week’s time, the tanker split in two, insuring that its entire cargo of 1,619,048 barrels of oil (220,000 tons) would spill into the sea.

6.August 6,1983-Castillo de Bellver Oil Spill
Amount-78 million gallons
Where-Saldanha,South Africa

On August 6, 1983, a fire broke out aboard the Spanish tanker Castillo de Bellver, causing a massive explosion that spilled 78 million gallons of oil off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa. A shift in winds pushed the oil offshore, minimizing the disaster’s environmental effects.

5. February 10-September 18,1983-Nowruz Oil Field Spill
Amount-80 million gallons
Where-Persian Gulf,Iran

In 1983, the Nowruz Oil Field in the Persian Gulf, Iran, was involved in a number of oil pollution incidents. On February 10, 1983, a tanker collided with a platform. The platform developed a 45-degree tilt and had to be shut down. Wave action and corrosion apparently caused the riser to collapse into the wellhead causing a spill of approximately 1,500 barrels per day. The well was not capped because the field was in the middle of the Iran/Iraq war zone. This platform was attacked by Iraqi planes in March and the resulting slick caught fire. This well was capped by the Iranians on September 18, 1983. Eleven people were killed during the operation. In March 1983, a nearby platform was attacked with rockets by Iraqi helicopters. The platform burned and spilled oil at an initial rate of approximately 5,000 barrels per day. The rate slowed to about 1,500 barrels per day in the two years before the well was capped. In May 1985, the fire was extinguished and the well was plugged with the assistance of divers. Nine men died during these operations. Approximately 733,000 barrels of oil spilled into the sea as a result of this incident. It is estimated that the rate of oil leaking into the Persian Gulf in mid-May of 1983 was between 4,000 and 10,000 barrels per day due to more war-related activity or the collapse of burning platforms. As a result of this incident, a cooperative program for large-scale trajectory modeling was developed between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Kuwait’s Environment Protection Council under the Ministry of Public Health. Keyword: Booms, skimmers, fire, collision..

4.September 8,1994-Kolva River Oil Spill
Amount-84 million gallons
Where-Kolva River,Russia

The oil spill near the town of Usinsk in Northern Russia is one of the most serious environmental disasters of the
decade. The pipeline just south of the Arctic Circle had been
leaking since February 1994 but the oil was contained within a dike
built for this purpose. On October 1st, the dike collapsed because
of cold and snow. Following the collapse, around 102,000 tones of
oil began to pour onto the Siberian tundra. The spill reached the
Kolva River, a tributary of the Pechora River, which falls into the
Barents Sea. Life within the rivers as well as the fragile
environment of the Arctic have been endangered by this oil spill.
Experts estimate the spill to be eight times greater than the Exxon
Valdez oil spill.

3.July 19,!979-Atlantic Empress Oil Spill
Amount-90 million gallons
Where-Off coast of Trinidad and Tobago

See Photos Here, click

2.June 3,1979-march23,1980-Ixtoc 1 Oil Spill
Amount-40 million gallons
Where-Bay of Campeche off coast of Cuidad del Carman, Mexico

On June 3, 1979, the 2 mile deep exploratory well, IXTOC I, blew out in the Bahia de Campeche, 600 miles south of Texas in the Gulf of Mexico. The IXTOC I was being drilled by the SEDCO 135, a semi-submersible platform on lease to Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX). A loss of drilling mud circulation caused the blowout to occur. The oil and gas blowing out of the well ignited, causing the platform to catch fire. The burning platform collapsed into the wellhead area hindering any immediate attempts to control the blowout. PEMEX hired blowout control experts and other spill control experts including Red Adair, Martech International of Houston, and the Mexican diving company, Daivaz. The Martech response included 50 personnel on site, the remotely operated vehicle TREC, and the submersible Pioneer I. The TREC attempted to find a safe approach to the Blowout Preventer (BOP). The approach was complicated by poor visibility and debris on the seafloor including derrick wreckage and 3000 meters of drilling pipe. Divers were eventually able to reach and activate the BOP, but the pressure of the oil and gas caused the valves to begin rupturing. The BOP was reopened to prevent destroying it. Two relief wells were drilled to relieve pressure from the well to allow response personnel to cap it. Norwegian experts were contracted to bring in skimming equipment and containment booms, and to begin cleanup of the spilled oil. The IXTOC I well continued to spill oil at a rate of 10,000 – 30,000 barrels per day until it was finally capped on March 23, 1980.

1.January 19,1991-Arabian Gulf/Kuwait
Amount-380 to 520 million gallons
Where-Persian Gulf Kuwait

This one was not an accident,but was caused by Iraq forces during the Gulf War.The Iraq forces were trying to prevent American forces from landing. The oil released covered 4000 square miles about the size of Rhode Island.

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