Top 10 Largest Oil Spills in history

This is the list of largest oil spills in the history. Some of the oil spills accidents happened purposely and the other is accident. It is undeniable that the oil spills poisoning the natural habitat around the site.
1. Gulf war 1991 (Kuwait)
Estimated loss: 240-336 million Gallons of Oil

Gulf War Oil Spill

Gulf war oil spills in Kuwait was a major catastrophe that happened on purpose. Around 240-336.000.000 gallons of crude oil was spilled by Iraqi troops to the sea during 1st gulf war in Kuwait in 1991. The recovery damage required 25 miles of smart booms to seal off the open pipelines, 21 skimmers, and vacuum trucks. From that recovery stunt, 58.800.000 gallons of oil was recovered, more that 50% oil spilled evaporated and 1/8 oil spilled washed ashore to Saudi Arabia and recovered by the country.

2. Ixtoc 1 Oil Well, 1979

Estimated loss: 140 million gallons

Lxtoc Oil Spill

In June 1979, an accidental explosion hit Oil well in the Bay of Campeche. The problem remained unsolved 10 months and it cost 140 million gallons of oil crude spills to the Gulf of Mexico. The recovery damage took huge quantity of dispersant to cover 1100 square miles oil slicks and more than 50% of total oil spilled evaporated or burned

3. Atlantic Empress, 1979
Estimated loss: 88.3 million

Atlantic Empress

One evening time in July 1979 was a disastrous moment for 2 supertankers, The Aegean and the Atlantic Empress. Those vessels were hit by stormy weather at the coast of Tobago in the Caribbean Sea. It made Aegean and Atlantic Empress blazed by huge fire but it was luck for Aegean because the captain managed to control the ship to Curacao and recovered the remaining oil.
At the other side, Atlantic Empress was uncontrolled and it was swayed 300 miles offshore before finally exploded. 26 crew death and nearly 90 million gallons of crude oil wasted to the sea. The accident caused minor damage to the near island and the cleanup process was success.

4 Fergana Valley, 1992 (Uzbekistan)
Estimated loss: 87.7 million gallons

Fergana Valley Oil spill

In 1992, one accident hit Fergana valley energy and oil refining well and it cost 87.7 million gallons spilled to the ground and remained uncovered. The accident did not get press attention and the causes of accident remained unclear.

5. Nowruz Oil Field, 1983 (Persian Gulf)
Estimated loss: 80 million gallons

Nowruz Oil Field

Nowruz Oil field was cornered in the situation of Iran-Iraq war in 1983. One day, during the conflict, one oil tanker crashed the Oil field and damaging the well platform underneath. Consequently, 1500 barrels of crude oil spilled to the ocean every single day for 7 months. After the war was settled down the recovery damage was initiated. It was done by Norpol, a Norwegian company, and the company used loads of booms and skimmers to halt the spread of the oil

6. ABT Summer, 1991 (Off the coast of Angola)
Estimated loss: 80 million of Gallons

ABT Summer

While ABT summer on the way to Rotterdam, a sudden explosion hit the vessel and the ship trap to its own spilled payload 900 miles from the coast of Angola. The tanker was burned for 3 days before finally sunk. The oil slick was spanning 80 square miles away and no recovery action was done to save the oil of the ocean.

7. Castillo de Bellver, 1983(Off the Saldanha Bay, South Africa)
Estimated loss: 78.5 million gallons

Castillo de Bellver

On August 6, 1983, the tanker got an accident and it was trapped by huge fire 70 miles at northwest off the Cape Town. The vessel was trapped on fire for days until it finally broke into half and sunk with remaining 110.000 ton of payload. There was no casualty on the accident but the accident cost 79 million gallons of crude oil. Fortunately, the accident only caused view environmental damaged and view impact to local fish stock
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8. Amoco Cadiz, 1978 (Off Brittany, France)
Estimated loss: 68.7 million gallons

Amoco Cadiz Spilla

One time in 1978, Amoco Cadiz vessel faced a strong storm at the coast of Brittany and the steering failed to control the vessel. It caused severe accident to the vessel and it cost 246,000 tons of light crude oil cargo. The oil slicks spread to the English Channel and poisoned natural habitat and marine life around the coast. After one month, the oil spill contaminated 200 miles of French Shoreline. The recovery required vacuum trucks, agricultural vacuum apparatus and bare hands.

9. Odyssey Oil Spill, 1988 (700 nautical miles off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada)

Odyssey Oil Spill

Estimated loss: 43 million gallons

Odyssey oil tanker carried full North Sea crude oil on North Atlantic Ocean in November 1988. After it reached 700 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia accident happen and the vessel trap on its own payload for hours before it split and sunk. Because the accident far away from the nearest coastline, no clean up initiated because those oil dissipate by nature.

10. M/T Haven Tanker, 1991 (Genoa, Italy)

MT Oil Spill

Loss: 42 million gallons

M/T Haven Tanker got an accident on Genoa, Italy in 1991 and it killed 6 people. The vessel finally sunk and left 820 feet by 250 meter vessel wreck off the coast. The recovery damages required 6 miles inflatable barriers and huge vacuums unit. At this time, the location of the sunken tanker become popular diver’s destination. It is believed that it is the biggest shipwreck in the world`s ocean.The accident itself is only recorded at the 10th rank of largest oil spill in history.