Ten Largest Oil Spills in the World
Updated September 9, 2022 |
Infoplease Staff
The following table lists the largest oil spills in the world. 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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