History of Major Oil Spills

  • "Santa Barbara: 4.2 Million Gallons Spilled"

    "Santa Barbara: 4.2 Million Gallons Spilled"
    An oil leak off the shore of Santa Barbara leaked for 12 days. Senator Gaylord A. Nelson started Earth Day.
  • "Sansinena: 1.26 million gallons

    In Los Angeles Harbor an explosion split the vessel Sansinena in half.
  • "Amoco Cadiz: 68.7 Million Gallongs"

    "Amoco Cadiz: 68.7 Million Gallongs"
    An American supertanker broke into two. This happened 3 miles off the coast of Brittany, France.
  • "Itoc 1: 140 million gallons"

    An exploratory well "blew out" off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. It gushed mud color oil and other gases. This was brought under control in March 1980.
  • "Exxon Valdez: 10.8 Million Gallons"

    "Exxon Valdez: 10.8 Million Gallons"
    American tanker filled to capacity with heavy oil. Otters, fish, and birds died. The clean up fund was $1 billion.
  • "Megaborg: 4.2 Million Gallons"

    Norwegion oil tanker set off a raging fire which spilled light crude oil. The Gulf showed no traces of oil less than 20 days after.
  • "Kuwait: 37.8 Billion Gallons"

    Iraqis opened the oil wells and pipeline valves. 650 facilities were set a blaze. 2-3 million barrels washed ashore.
  • "Hurricane Katrina: 7.98 Million Gallons"

    The high winds destroyed, damaged, and sank 50 of the 4000 gulf platforms. Katrina had winds of 140mph. A damaged Bass Enterprises tanks released 3078 million gallons.
  • "Deepwater Horizon: Ongoing"

    A fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon lasted 2 days. It sank the drilling rig about 50 miles off the Louisiana coast. A pipe broke as the rig sank and it began gushing oil.