Ten Largest Oil Spills in the U.S.
Updated September 9, 2022 |
Infoplease Staff
The following table lists the largest oil spills in U.S. history. The date of the spill, circumstances surrounding the spill, and amount of oil spilled are also given.
Rank | Date | Cause | Source | Location | Spill Volume |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | April 20, 2010 | explosion | drilling rig Deepwater Horizon | Gulf of Mexico, 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana | an estimated 200,000 gallons a day |
2. | March 24, 1989 | reef collision | tanker Exxon Valdez | Prince William Sound, Alaska | 10+ million gallons |
3. | Dec. 15, 1976 | ran aground | tanker Argo Merchant | Nantucket Island | 7.7 million gallons |
4. | Aug.–Sept. 2005 | Hurricane Katrina | various sources | New Orleans, La. | 7 million gallons |
5. | June 8, 1990 | explosion | tanker Mega Borg | 60 miles off Galveston, Texas | 5.1 million gallons |
6. | Nov. 28, 2000 | ran aground | tanker Westchester | Port Sulphur, La. | 567,000 gallons |
7. | Jan. 23, 2010 | collision | tanker Eagle Otome | Port Arthur, Texas | 462,000 gallons |
8. | July 25, 2008 | collision | unnamed barge | New Orleans, La. | 419,000 gallons |
9. | Dec. 7, 2004 | ran aground | M/V Selendang Ayu | Aleutian Islands, Alaska | 337,000 gallons |
10. | Aug. 10, 1993 | collision | barge Bouchard B155 | Tampa Bay, Fla. | 336,000 gallons |
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