Question by robocode2000: what are the top 10 oil spill disasters in history?
Best answer:
Answer by oBlaarggaarg
Kuwait – 1991 – 520 million gallons
Iraqi forces opened the valves of several oil tankers in order to slow the invasion of American troops. The oil slick was four inches thick and covered 4000 square miles of ocean.
Mexico – 1980 – 100 million gallons
An accident in an oil well caused an explosion which then caused the well to collapse. The well remained open, spilling 30,000 gallons a day into the ocean for a full year.
Trinidad and Tobago – 1979 – 90 million
During a tropical storm off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago, a Greek oil tanker collided with another ship, and lost nearly its entire cargo.
Russia – 1994 – 84 million gallons
A broken pipeline in Russia leaked for eight months before it was noticed and repaired.
Persian Gulf – 1983 – 80 million gallons
A tanker collided with a drilling platform which, eventually, collapsed into the sea. The well continued to spill oil into the ocean for seven months before it was repaired.
South Africa – 1983 – 79 million gallons
A tanker cought fire and was abandoned before sinking 25 miles off the coast of Saldanha Bay.
France – 1978 – 69 million gallons
A tanker’s rudder was broken in a severe storm, despite several ships responding to its distress call, the ship ran aground and broke in two. It’s entire payload was dumped into the English Channel.
Angola – 1991 – more than 51 million gallons
The tanker expolded, exact quantity of spill unknown
Italy – 1991 – 45 million gallons
The tanker exploded and sank off the coast of Italy and continued leaking it’s oil into the ocean for 12 years.
Odyssey Oil Spill – 1988 – 40 million gallons
700 nautical miles off the cost of Nova Scotia.
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One Response
An exact ranking is tricky due to the wide range of some estimates. Spills are ranked by barrels a barrel of crude is equal to 42 gallons #1 Lakeview Gusher Kern county California May 14th 1910 to September 1911 estimate 9,000,000 barrels. # 2 Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico April 20th 2010 to July 15th 2010 estimate 3,000,000 to 8,700,000 barrels. #3 Gulf War oil spill Iraq, Persian Gulf and Kuwait January 23rd 1991 estimate 2,000,000 to 6,000,000 barrels. #4 Ixtoc I Gulf of Mexico June 3rd 1979 to March 23rd 1980 estimate 3,329,000 to 3,520,000 barrels. #5 Atlantic Empress Trinidad and Tobago July 19 1979 estimate 2,105,000 barrels. #6 Fergana Valley Uzbekistan March 2nd 1992 estimate 2,090,000 barrels. #7 Nowruz Field platform Iran, Persian Gulf February 4th 1983 estimate 1,907,000 barrels. #8 ABT Summer Angola May 28th 1991 estimate 1,907,000 barrels. #9 Castillo de Bellver South Africa Saldanha Bay August 6th 1983 estimate 1,848,000 barrels. #10 Amoco Cadiz France Brittany March 16th 1978 estimate 1,635,000 barrels.