Oil spills throughout history

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill surpassed the size of the 1969 Santa Barbara spill and the Exxon Valdez. Here are some other historical spills.

5 Seconds

00:00

Aug. 19, 1979

Texas state Rep. Arnold Gonzales examines some of the gooey Mexican crude oil that washed onto the Mustang Island beach from the Gulf of Mexico. On June 3, 1979, the Ixtoc offshore well blew and went uncapped for 294 days, creating one of history's largest oil spills and ruining Texas beaches.

John Best / UPI

June 23, 1989

The Exxon Valdez is towed out of Prince William Sound in Alaska by a tug boat and a U.S. Coast Guard Cutter. The tanker struck a charted reef in April 1989, spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil across 1,500 miles of Alaskan coastline and spurring a long court battle over damages to 34,000 fishermen and other Alaskans.

Al Grillo / AP

April 13, 1989

Beach cleanup worker Bill Scheer shows off his oil-covered gear while working on the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. After one of the nation's longest-running noncriminal legal disputes, a federal appeals court in late 2006 cut in half a $5 billion jury award for punitive damages against Exxon Mobil.

John Gaps III / AP

March 26, 1989

The Exxon Baton Rouge, left, attempts to offload crude oil from the Exxon Valdez.

/ AP

April 9, 1989

A group of seals bobs in the oil-fouled waters of Prince William Sound as crude oil from the spill of the Exxon Valdez continues to move through their southern Alaska habitat.

John Gaps III / AP

April 15, 1989

Another dead sea otter is added to the daily count as Cordova, Alaska, fisherman Tim Tirrell brings it to his boat from the oily shore of Johnson Bay. Crude oil from the spill of the tanker Exxon Valdez fouled more than 1,000 miles of pristine shoreline and killed thousands of birds and other wildlife.

John Gaps III / AP

April 17, 1989

Oil cleanup workers prepare to vacuum up crude oil on the shoreline of Block Island, Alaska, as efforts continue to clean up oil from the spill of the Exxon Valdez.

John Gaps III / AP

March 10, 1999

An oil-covered bird was among the victims in Alaska's Prince William Sound after the Exxon Valdez tanker ran aground in April 1989, about 25 miles from Valdez, fouling the water and beaches and killing many fish and other animals. The disaster, the worst oil spill in U.S. history, prompted Congress to pass a law in 1990 banning single-hull tankers such as the Exxon Valdez from domestic waters by 2015.

Jack Smith / AP

June 11, 1990

Fire boats battle a blaze aboard the Norwegian supertanker Mega Borg. The explosion killed four crew members and dumped about 4 million gallons of oil off the coast of Galveston, Tex.

/ AP

January 7, 1994

A crew contracted by the U.S. Coast Guard tries to clean oil washed up on a beach on San Juan's Atlantic coast after a barge carrying more than 1.5 million gallons of oil ran aground off San Juan, blackening resort beaches in the Puerto Rican capital at the height of tourist season.

Tim Garrity / AP

Feb. 11, 1999

The 639-foot freighter New Carissa sits beached while slowly leaking oil into the waters around Oregon's Coos Bay. The freighter, which ran aground in a storm Feb. 4, 1999, leaked 70,000 gallons of its fuel oil into the ocean. The owners of the freighter later sued the Coast Guard for $96 million, saying navigational charts omitted warnings about unsafe conditions in the waters where the ship went aground and broke apart. A Coast Guard report in October 1999 faulted the ship's operators, saying the captain dropped anchor and did not let out enough chain.

Anthony Bolante / Reuters

April 8, 2000

Troy Shiflett, left, and Barry Tignor of A&A Environmental, one of Pepco's cleanup contractors, land their boat at Chalk Point, Md. An April 7, 2000, oil spill along the Patuxent River, caused by a ruptured pipe at Pepco's Chalk Point power plant, was Maryland's worst environmental disaster. More than 120,000 gallons of oil fouled nearly 90 acres of shoreline and wetlands.

Marie Poirier Marzi for The Washington Post

April 10, 2000

Federal investigators concluded that the April 2000 oil spill on the Patuxent River in Calvert County occurred after a flaw in the pipe delivering fuel oil went undetected because consultants misread inspection data.

Dudley Brooks / The Washington Post

April 10, 2000

Pepco employees and other contractors work to clean up the Patuxent oil spill. Federal and state officials determined that 76 acres of wetlands and 10 acres of shoreline were slicked with oil.

Dudley M. Brooks / The Washington Post

April 20, 2000

Doctors from Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research clean oil from one of four ospreys brought in due to oil damage at a first aid station near the Patuxent spill. Federal and state officials determined that the spill killed at least 553 ruddy ducks, 376 muskrats, 143 assorted birds and 122 diamondback terrapins; reduced turtle hatchlings by 10 percent; and caused the loss of thousands of pounds of fish and shellfish.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

April 11, 2000

Cleanup worker Thomas Courtney pushes oil-absorbing rags in the water along the shore of the Patuxent in Calvert County, Md.

James M. Thresher / The Washington Post

May 12, 2000

About a month after the Patuxent oil spill, Dianne Pearce, left, of the Chesapeake Wildlife Sanctuary and Pepco officials help release rehabilitated ducks into the Patuxent River.

Ricky Carioti / The Washington Post

Nov. 30, 2000

Cleanup workers move a containment boom into position to remove oil from the Mississippi River near Fort Jackson, La. The tanker Westchester lost power and apparently ran aground, spilling 554,400 gallons of crude oil, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Bill Haber / AP

Sept. 25, 2005

Workers from Garner Emergency Response, including Mark Cumpion, right, clean up a spill at the Valero oil refinery in Port Arthur, Tex., after it was flooded by Hurricane Rita. Most of the area's refineries made it through the storm intact.

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Sept. 24, 2005

Oil can be seen floating in the floodwaters of Hurricane Rita at a refinery in Port Arthur,Tex.

Ron Heflin / AP

Aug. 11, 2006

Charlotte Foley works on the oil spill cleanup at BP's Prudhoe Bay oil fields in Alaska. In March 2006, workers discovered more than 200,000 gallons of crude oil had leaked from corroded BP pipelines in North America's largest oil field. Five months after that discovery, BP conceded that the leak was part of a widespread corrosion problem that would force it to replace 16 miles of a 22-mile pipeline from Prudhoe Bay and to shut down 400,000 barrels a day of production.

Kimberly White / Bloomberg News

Nov. 9, 2007

An NRC Environmental Services worker cleans oil from Rodeo Beach in the Marin headlands of California. The 900-foot Cosco Busan spilled 53,000 gallons of oil on the foggy morning of Nov. 7, 2007, after sideswiping a San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge tower.

Kimberly White / Bloomberg News

Nov. 9, 2007

An oil-soaked bird is examined at the International Bird Rescue Research Center in Cordelia, Calif., after a South Korea-bound container ship struck the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, spilling 58,000 gallons of oil into the San Francisco Bay. It was believed to be the bay's biggest spill since 1988.

/ Getty Images

June 22, 2008

Twenty years after a massive oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif., Henry Beach carries residue from the spill. The blackened beaches and oil-soaked birds and seals became icons for the environmental movement and eventually brought oil exploration off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States to a halt.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

July 24, 2008

Health and safety workers throw out absorption mops while trying to contain a fuel oil spill in the Mississippi River at the Port of New Orleans. A chemical tanker split a fuel barge in half, spilling thousands of gallons of fuel oil and forcing the closure of a 58-mile stretch from New Orleans southward. Vessel traffic was halted after the collision in which the MV Tintomara struck an American Commercial Lines barge, which spilled more than 400,000 gallons of No. 6 fuel oil into the river.

Sean Gardner / Reuters

May 6, 2010

An aerial view of the oil slick from the Deepwater Horizon rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers. The gulf spill appears to be the worst in the nation's history -- far bigger than the 11 million gallons that spilled in the Exxon Valdez disaster.

Daniel Beltra / Reuters

May 17, 2010

Greenpeace marine biologist Paul Horsman surveys oil from the Deepwater Horizon rig that has pooled between reeds and brush on the shoreline of the east bank in the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana.

Hans Deryk / Reuters

May 17, 2010

Oil drips from the rubber gloves of Greenpeace marine biologist Horsman as he shows oil deposits wrapped around rope on the breakwater in the mouth of the Mississippi River where it meets the Gulf of Mexico.

Hans Deryk / Reuters

May 21, 2010

A northern gannet discolored from its usual white lies dead along Grand Isle Beach in Louisiana.

Sean Gardner / Reuters

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

TV presenter and conservationist Anneka Tanaka-Svenska wears a hat designed by Louis Mariette during the first day of Royal Ascot, in Berkshire, west of London, on June 18, 2013. The five-day meeting is one of the highlights of the horse racing calendar. Horse racing has been held at the famous Berkshire course since 1711 and tradition is a hallmark of the meeting. Top hats and tails remain compulsory in parts of the course while a daily procession of horse-drawn carriages brings the Queen to the course. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNISADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

Photos of the day

Royal Ascot, protests in Brazil, Lego exhibition, flooding in India, Cheetah-Cub robot and more.

Two-year old male rat named Dyatlik wears a costume during a rodent exhibition in Minsk, Belarus, Saturday, June 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Animal views

Rodent exhibition, swimming with elephants, Mexico’s feline mayoral candidate and more.

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: Johnathon Carrington, valedictorian at Dunbar High School, laughs with family and friends after his school's graduation ceremony at Howard University on Friday, June 14, 2013, in Washington, DC. Carrington, who grew up in Tyler House public-housing apartments and is graduating from one of DC's low-performing high schoolsy, where academic expectations are high. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

Johnathon’s journey

Johnathon Carrington graduated Friday as the valedictorian of his neighborhood school, Dunbar High, and is headed to Georgetown University. But Carrington, 17, is nervous, and so are...

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 18: Madonna attends the Dolce & Gabbana and The Cinema Society screening of the Epix World premiere of 'Madonna: The MDNA Tour' at The Paris Theatre on June 18, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Eye on entertainment

Madonna, Michael Buble, Barbara Streisand, Jackie Chan, Jerry Seinfeld, Estelle and other celebrities.

Inmates walk at a high-security male prison camp outside Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk May 14, 2013. High-security male prison camp number 17 is intended to house male inmates who are serving a sentence for the first time, and have been convicted for serious crimes. Prisoners at the facility work in wood and metal processing shops, manufacture furniture, sew clothes and do other kinds of work. They can also take part in educational, sport and cultural programs. Picture taken May 14, 2013. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin (RUSSIA - Tags: CRIME LAW SOCIETY) ATTENTION EDITORS: PICTURE 4 OF 29 FOR PACKAGE 'INSIDE SIBERIA'S PRISONS' SEARCH 'ILYA PRISON' FOR ALL IMAGES

Life in a Siberian prison

A look inside a high-security prison camp outside Krasnoyarsk, Russia

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 16: Reenactors dressed as knights stage a medieval jousting competition at Eltham Palace on June 16, 2013 in Eltham, England. The 'Grand Medieval Joust' event at Eltham Palace, an English Heritage property which was the childhood home of King Henry VIII, aims to give a great insight into life at the palace during the medieval period. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

The Grand Medieval Joust

The Grand Medieval Joust at Eltham Palace, an English Heritage property that was the childhood home of King Henry VIII, aims to lend insight through reenactment into life at the palace...

In this June 8, 2013 photo, youth compete in the Sao Carlos slum local soccer tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The pitch is just dirt and the incandescent lights aren't so bright. But when the boys' feet strike the football in the Sao Carlos slum as night falls every Saturday, big league dreams glow, inflated by the hope of escaping the shantytown with sporting skills. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Brazil’s other soccer fields

With the Confederations Cup opening this week and the World Cup one year away, all eyes are on Brazil, where soccer is arguably played with more passion and art than anywhere else....

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 16: John F. Tatum Sr. hugs his grandson John F. Tatum III during his annual Father's Day block party on Sunday, June 16, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Amanda Voisard/For the Washington Post)

Father’s Day picnic in Northeast D.C.

A decades-old backyard barbecue in Northeast Washington draws hundreds in honor of dads everywhere. “It’s off-the-chain fun,” says Butch McNair, who has worked one...

Back to Previous Gallery

Discussion Policy | FAQ | About Discussions

Comments

Add your comment

Read what others are saying About Badges

SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.

More about badges | Request a badge

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Fact Checker Badge

Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Forum Badge

Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Weather Watcher Badge

Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts.

More about badges | Request a badge

World Watcher Badge

World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Contributor Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors aren’t staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

All comments are posted in the All Comments tab.

More about badges

Get a badge

To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.