The largest oil spills since 1967

AFP

AFP

Monday, January 8, 2018 11:23

UPDATE
Monday, January 8, 2018 11:27

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Here is a list of major oil spills at sea since 1967, following a collision Saturday between a freight ship and a chinese tanker iranian who is in danger of exploding or sinking, after it caught fire.

The organization defends the environment, Greenpeace said it was “concerned by the potential environmental damage that could be caused by 136 000 tons of light hydrocarbon (condensate) that are transported by the tanker Sanchi.

The oil slicks from shipwrecks

July 1979 – ATLANTIC EMPRESS/AEGEAN CAPTAIN

The collision of two ships flying the Greek pavilion, the Atlantic Empress and the Aegean Captain off Tobago, causing the spill of 287 000 tonnes of oil, in addition to causing the death of 30 sailors.

Counterspill.org

Counterspill.org

May 1991 – ABT SUMMER

An oil tanker liberia, the ABT Summer explodes at approximately 1300 km off the coast of Angola. It burns for three days before it sank with its cargo of 260,000 tons of oil.

August 1983 – the CASTILLO DE BELLVER

The Castillo de Bellver, oil, Spanish, carrying 250,000 tonnes of light crude oil, exploded and sank in two stages: first the back of the ship near the coast of South Africa, and then the front off after towing.

March 1978 – AMOCO CADIZ

The sinking of the tanker liberia Amoco Cadiz causes the leakage of 227 000 tons of crude oil over approximately 400 km of French coastline off the coast of Brittany (north-west).

Counterspill.org

Counterspill.org

Counterspill.org

April 1991 – HAVEN

An oil tanker of cyprus, the Haven, is sinking into the Gulf of Genoa (Italy) after several fires which destroy a large part of its cargo of 144,000 tonnes. The rest of the oil to form an oil spill that pollutes the coasts of Liguria and Provence.

November 1988 – ODYSSEY

The Odyssey, a british ship carrying 132 000 tons of oil, which sinks in the Atlantic, about 1300 km of coasts with the 27 members of the crew.

March 1967 – TORREY CANYON

The Torrey Canyon, a ship of liberia, ran aground near the Scilly islands (Great Britain) and flows to the sea, 121 000 tonnes of crude oil, reaching Brittany (west of France).

AFP

AFP

Other shipwrecks of oil tankers, the volume of hydrocarbons less expensive, have caused major catastrophes such as oil spills from the Exxon Valdez in Alaska (1989), Sea Empress in Wales (1996), the Erika in France (1999) or the Prestige in Spain (2002).

Platforms and wells: the volumes of the most important

June 1979 – MEXICO

The spillage of a million tons of oil in the Gulf of Mexico, after the explosion of the oil well Ixtoc Uno, causing a gigantic oil spill. More than nine months of work will be needed to stem the leak.

Counterspill.org

January 1991 – GULF

One million tonnes of crude oil escaped from the tanks of tankers in the harbour, terminal and offshore wells botched spilled into the Gulf following the war against the occupation of Kuwait by Iraq. 560 kilometres of coastline are polluted.

Lt. Steve Gozzo, USN

Counterspill.org

April 2010 – UNITED STATES

The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, operated by BP in the Gulf of Mexico, killed 11 people and resulting in the spill of 4.9 million barrels of crude (more than 600 000 tons of oil).

Counterspill.org

Counterspill.org

Sources : AFP, Cedre (Centre of documentation, research and experimentation on accidental water pollution), ITOPF (the international tanker owners pollution federation limited).