List of oil spills


This is a reverse-chronological list of oil spills that have occurred throughout the world and spill that are currently ongoing. Quantities are measured in tonnes of crude oil with one tonne roughly equal to 308 US gallons, 256 Imperial gallons, 7.33 barrels, or 1165 litres. This calculation uses a median value of 0.858 for the specific gravity of light crude oil; actual values can range from 0.816 to 0.893, so the amounts shown below are inexact. They are also estimates, because the actual volume of an oil spill is difficult to measure exactly.

Confirmed spills

Spill / VesselLocationDatesMin TonnesMax TonnesOwnerLink
Trans Mountain oil spill, Canada, Abbotsford14 June 2020Trans Mountain
Norilsk diesel fuel spill, Norilsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai29 May 2020Nornickel
Tanker truck pumping out sludge from a vessel, Tauranga, Bay of Plenty30 March 2020
T.G. Williams Well No. 1 tank battery, Oakland Creek, Longview30 March 2020unknownunknownFortune Resources
Greka Energy oil facility, Santa Maria30 March 2020Greka
True Oil pipeline, North Dakota, Red Wing Creek27 March 2020unknownunknownTrue Oil LLC
Tanker truck rollover, Santa Maria, Cuyama River21 March 2020
Keystone Pipeline 2019 spill, Walsh County, North Dakota29 10 2019TransCanada Corporation
Willowton Oil, KwaZulu-Natal, near Pietermaritzburg and DurbanAugust 2019unknownunknownWillowton Group
North East Brazil oil spill , 733 km from Paraiba29 July 2019unknownunknownDelta Tankers Ltd.
Guarello Island iron ore export terminal diesel spill, Guarello Island, Magallanes Region27 7 2019Compañía de Acero del Pacífico
MV Chrysanthi S bunkering spill at sea, Algoa Bay, Port of Ngqura6 July 2019SA Marine Fuels
MV Solomon Trader fuel oil spill Solomon Islands, Rennell Island5 2 2019South Express Ltd
SeaRose FPSO production ship spill, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador16 11 2018Husky Energy
Ulysse-Virginia collisionNorth of Corsica October 2018
Port Erin diesel spill 23 7 2018unknownunknownunknown
Doon, Iowa derailment, Lyon County, Iowa22 6 2018BNSF Railway
Sanchi oil tanker collision with CF CrystalEast China Sea6 1 2018National Iranian Tanker Company
Keystone Pipeline 2017 spill, Marshall County, South Dakota16 11 2017TransCanada Corporation
Delta House floating production platform spill, Gulf of Mexico, near Louisiana11 10 2017 – 12 October 2017LLOG Exploration
Agia Zoni II, Saronic Gulf, Salamis10 09 2017Fos Petroleum SA
East River insulating oil spill, New York07 05 2017Con Edison
Energy Transfer Partners Dakota Access Pipeline Leak, North Dakota04 04 2017Energy Transfer Partners
Ennore oil spill, Chennai, Ennore Port28 1 2017Darya Shipping Solutions
Belle Fourche pipeline leak, North Dakota, Billings County, Ash Coulee Creek05 12 2016Belle Fourche Pipeline Company
Fox Creek pipeline leak, Alberta, Fox Creek06 10 2016Trilogy Energy
BP Clair production platform, North Sea, Shetland, Clair platform02 10 2016BP
2016 Colonial Pipeline Leak, Shelby County, Alabama12 09 2016Colonial Pipeline Co
North Battleford pipeline spill, Saskatchewan, North Battleford21 07 2016Husky Energy
ConocoPhillips Canada pipeline spill, Alberta, Grande Cache09 06 2016ConocoPhillips
2016 Union Pacific oil train fire, Oregon, Mosier03 06 2016Union Pacific Railroad
Denbury Resources Bowman County Oil SPill, North Dakota Bowman County18 05 2016Denbury Resources
Shell Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Brutus offshore platform, Gulf of Mexico, near Louisiana12 05 2016Royal Dutch Shell
Keystone Pipeline 2016 spill, Menno, South Dakota02 04 2016TransCanada Corporation
Refugio oil spill, California, near Refugio State Beach19 05 2015Plains All American Pipeline
MV Marathassa bunker fuel spill, British Columbia, English Bay 13 4 2015Alassia NewShips Management Inc.
Illinois train derailment, Illinois, near Galena05 03 2015BNSF Railway
2015 Yellowstone River oil spill, Montana, near Glendive17 01 2015Bridger Pipeline LLC
Black Sea oil pipeline spill, Tuapse, near Black Sea24 12 2014unknownunknownTransneft
Trans-Israel Pipeline, Eilat, Trans-Israel pipeline6 12 2014Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company
Mid-Valley Pipeline, Louisiana, Mooringsport13 10 2014Sunoco
Lake Michigan oil spill, Indiana, Whiting refinery24 03 2014BP
MV Miss Susan/MV Summer Wind, Texas, Houston Ship Channel22 03 2014Kirby Corporation
North Dakota pipeline spill, North Dakota, Hiland21 03 2014Hiland Crude LLC
North Dakota train collision, North Dakota, Casselton30 12 2013BNSF Railway
Bullenbaai, Bullenbaai, Isla refinery1 11 2013unknownunknownPetróleos de Venezuela
North Dakota pipeline spill, North Dakota, Tioga25 09 2013 – 29 September 2013Tesoro
Rayong oil spill, Rayong/Ko Samet, Gulf of Thailand27 07 2013PTT Global Chemical
Lac-Mégantic derailment, Québec, Lac-Mégantic06 07 2013
Cushing storage terminal, Oklahoma, Cushing18 05 2013Enbridge Energy Partners
Mayflower, Arkansas, Mayflower30 03 2013ExxonMobil
Magnolia refinery, Arkansas, Magnolia09 03 2013Delek Logistics
Bullenbaai, Bullenbaai7 11 2012unknownunknownPetróleos de Venezuela
Arthur Kill storage tank diesel spill , New Jersey, Sewaren29 10 2012Exxon
Curaçao, Isla refinery and Jan Kok nature preserve17 08 2012unknownunknownPetróleos de Venezuela
Sundre, Alberta, Sundre08 06 2012
Guarapiche River, Maturín, Monagas04 02 2012PDVSA
Nigeria, Bonga Field21 12 2011Royal Dutch Shell
TK Bremen, Brittany, Erdeven16 12 2011Blue Atlantic Shipping
Campos Basin, Campos Basin, Frade Field7 11 2011 – 15 November 2011Chevron Corporation
, Tauranga, Bay of Plenty05 10 2011 – August 2012Costamare
Gannet Alpha platform, North Sea, North Sea, Gannet Alpha platform10 08 2011 – 13 August 2011Royal Dutch Shell
Yellowstone River, Billings, Montana, Yellowstone River01 07 2011ExxonMobil
Bohai Bay oil spill, Bohai Bay04 06 2011 – 19 June 2011ConocoPhillips
Little Buffalo oil spill, Alberta29 04 2011Plains All American Pipeline
Mumbai-Uran pipeline spill, Mumbai, Arabian Sea21 01 2011-
Fiume Santo power station, Sardinia, Porto Torres11 01 2011
Mumbai oil spill / MV MSC Chitra and MV Khalijia 3, Mumbai, Arabian Sea07 08 2010 – 9 August 2010
Barataria Bay oil spill, Barataria Bay, Gulf of Mexico27 07 2010 – 1 August 2010Cedyco Corp.
Kalamazoo River oil spill, Kalamazoo River, Calhoun County, Michigan26 07 2010Enbridge
Xingang Port oil spill, Yellow Sea16 07 2010 – 21 July 2010
Jebel al-Zayt oil spill, Red Sea16 06 2010 – 23 June 2010unknownunknown
Red Butte Creek oil spill, Salt Lake City, Utah11 06 2010 – 12 June 2010
Trans-Alaska Pipeline, Anchorage, Alaska25 5 2010
, Singapore Strait25 5 2010
ExxonMobil, Niger Delta01 5 2010ExxonMobil
Deepwater Horizon, Gulf of Mexico20 4 2010 – 15 July 2010BP
Great Barrier Reef / Great Keppel Island03 04 2010Shenzhen Energy
Lambro and Po rivers, Lombardy, Monza23 02 2010
Port Arthur oil spill, Port Arthur, Texas23 1 2010
Yellow River oil spill, Chishui River 05 1 2010
Montara oil spill, Timor Sea21 08 2009PTT Exploration and Production
Full City, Rognsfjorden near Såstein south of Langesund31 7 2009COSCO
Lüderitz oil spill, Southern coast8 4 2009unknownunknownunknown
Pacific Adventurer, Queensland10 3 2009Swire Shipping
West Cork oil spill, Southern coast
2008 New Orleans oil spill, New Orleans, Louisiana28 07 2008
Shell Bodo pipeline oil spill01 08 2008Royal Dutch Shell
Syros / Seabird collision, near the Rio de la Plata, Montevideo4 June 2008
Supe, off Zorritos31 January 2008
Statfjord oil spill, Norwegian Sea12 12 2007Statoil Petroleum, ExxonMobil, Centrica
Korea oil spill, Yellow Sea7 12 2007
Kerch Strait oil spill
, Strait of Kerch		11 11 2007
COSCO Busan oil spill, San Francisco, California7 11 2007
Kab 101, Bay of Campeche23 10 2007 – 17 December 2007
Genmar Progress Spill, Guayanilla, Puerto Rico30 08 2007General Maritime Corporation Progress LLC
Burnaby spill, Burnaby, British Columbia24 7 2007Kinder Morgan Energy Partners
Guimaras oil spill, Guimaras Strait11 8 2006
Jiyeh power station oil spill14 7 2006 – 15 July 2006
Citgo refinery, Lake Charles, Louisiana19 6 2006
Prudhoe Bay oil spill, Alaska North Slope, Alaska2 3 2006
Eider, Antofagasta31 October 2005
Bass Enterprises Oil Spill , Cox Bay, Louisiana30 08 2005
Shell , Pilottown, Louisiana30 08 2005Royal Dutch Shell
Chevron , Empire, Louisiana30 08 2005
Murphy Oil USA refinery spill , Meraux and Chalmette, Louisiana30 08 2005
Bass Enterprises , Pointe à la Hache, Louisiana30 08 2005
Chevron , Port Fourchon, Louisiana30 08 2005
Venice Energy Services Company , Venice, Louisiana30 08 2005
Shell Pipeline Oil , Nairn, Louisiana30 08 2005Royal Dutch Shell
Sundown Energy , West Potash, Louisiana30 08 2005
, Unalaska Island, Alaska8 12 2004
Athos 1, Delaware River, Paulsboro, New Jersey26 11 2004
MP-80 Delta 20" pipeline , Louisiana16 09 2004 – 19 September 2004
MP-69 Nakika 18" & MP-151 Nakika 18" pipeline , Louisiana16 09 2004 – 6 October 2004
Chevron-Texaco tank collapse , Louisiana16 09 2004 – 17 September 2004
Taylor oil spill, Gulf of Mexico near Louisiana16 9 2004 – presentTaylor Energy
Berge Nice, 5 miles east of Punta Delgada, Strait of Magellan14 May 2004
Tasman Spirit, Karachi28 7 2003Polembros Shipping
Bouchard No. 120, Buzzards Bay, Bourne, Massachusetts27 4 2003
Prestige, Galicia13 11 2002
Limburg , Gulf of Aden6 10 2002
Manguinhos refinery, Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro23 11 2001
Trans-Alaska Pipeline gunshot spill, Alaska4 10 2001
Jose Fuchs, Moraleda Channel2001
Shell Ogbodo25 06 2001Royal Dutch Shell
2001 Shell Ogoniland oil spillunknownunknownRoyal Dutch Shell
Petrobras 36, Roncador Oil Field, Campos Basin15 03 2001
Amorgos oil spill, Southern coast14 1 2001
Jessica, Galapagos Islands
Pine River, Chetwynd, British Columbia1 8 2000
Project Deep Spill, Helland Hansen ridge
Treasure, Cape Town
Petrobras pipeline, Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro
Erika, Bay of Biscay12 12 1999Total S.A.
Chanda Port Stanvac, South Australia28 06 1999Essar Shipping
MV New Carissa, Coos Bay, Oregon04 02 1999 – 9 March 1999
Mobil Nigeria oil spill12 1 1998
Nakhodka, Sea of Japan
Julie N., Portland, Maine27 9 1996
Sea Empress, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire15 2 1996Seatankers Management
North Cape, Rhode Island19 1 1996
MV Iron Baron Hebe Reef, Tasmania10 07 1995 – 30 July 1995BHP Shipping
Irene, near Walvis Bay1995
Komi oil pipeline, Usinsk, Komi Republic - October 1994Lukoil
Apollo Sea, Cape Town
Seki31 3 1994World-Wide Shipping Agency
Morris J. Berman7 1 1994New England Marine Services
, Shetland5 1 1993
Aegean Sea, A Coruña3 12 1992Coulouthros Ltd
Port Bonython oil spill, Era, Spencer Gulf, South Australia30 08 1992BP
Katina P, Maputo19-26 04 1992
Fergana Valley2 3 1992
Kirki, Indian Ocean, off the coast of Western Australia21 7 1991BP
ABT Summer, offshore28 5 1991National Iranian Tanker Company
, Mediterranean Sea near Genoa11 4 1991Amoco
Bella VistaNevis, 12 miles northeast of island6 March 1991
Sanko Harvest, Western Australia, near Hood Island 35 km from Esperance14 February 1991Seawall Shipping Corporation
Gulf War oil spill, Persian Gulf23 1 1991
Apex barges oil spill, Texas, Houston Ship Channel near Galveston28 07 1990Apex Towing Company
Mega Borg oil spill, Gulf of Mexico, SE of Galveston, Texas08 06 1990
American Trader, Bolsa Chica State Beach, California07 02 1990
Arthur Kill pipeline, New Jersey, Sewaren01 01 1990
Khark 5, off Las Palmas de Gran Canaria19 12 1989
Pacificos, East London4 October 1989
Presidente Rivera, Delaware River, Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania24 06 1989
World Prodigy, Aquidneck Island, Rhode Island23 06 1989
Exxon Valdez, Prince William Sound, Alaska24 3 1989
Bahía ParaísoAntarctica, Bismarck Strait28 January 1989Argentine Navy
Odyssey, off Nova Scotia10 11 1988
Ashland oil spill, Floreffe, Pennsylvania2 1 1988Ashland Oil Company
Cabo Pilar, Punta Davis,Strait of Magellan8 October 1987
Ship grounding, St Johns River mouth, FloridaFebruary 1987
Tanker Barge Apex Houston, California Coast from Marin County to Big Sur, San Francisco, California28 1 1986Apex Towing Company
Nova, Gulf of Iran, Kharg Island06 12 1985
Grand Eagle, Delaware River, Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania28 9 1985
Coral Sea / Napo collisionCuba11 April 1985
Puerto Rican, Golden Gate, San Francisco, California31 10 1984
Alvenus, Calcasieu Channel, Louisiana30 7 1984
SS Mobil Oil, Columbia River, Longview, Washington19 3 1984
Castillo de Bellver, Saldanha Bay6 8 1983
Nowruz Field Platform, Persian Gulf4 2 1983
, Lithuanian SSR, Klaipėda21 11 1981Cantabria Shipping Ltd
Druzhba pipeline, Bartoušov3 November 1980
Production Well D-103, Tripoli1 8 1980
Tanio oil spill, Brittany7 3 1980
Irenes Serenade, Pylos23 02 1980
, Bosphorus15 11 1979
Burmah Agate, Galveston Bay, Texas1 11 1979
Aphrodite Port Stanvac, South Australia20 07 1979unknownunknown
Atlantic Empress / Aegean Captain19 7 1979
Ixtoc I oil spill, Bay of Campeche, Gulf of Mexico3 6 1979 – 23 March 1980Pemex
Betelgeuse, Bantry Bay8 1 1979
Peck Slip Spill, Cabo San Juan, Puerto Rico19 12 1978Sun Oil Company
Cabo Tamar, San Vincente Bay1978
Amoco Cadiz, Brittany16 3 1978Amoco
Trans-Alaska Pipeline sabotage by explosives, Alaska15 2 1978
Brazilian Marina, Sao Sebastiao Channel, São Paulo9 January 1978
Venpet / Venoil collision, Cape St. Francis16 12 1977
Unknown ship, Key Largo, Florida1 May 1977
Ekofisk oil field, North Sea22 4 1977
, off Honolulu, Hawaii26 2 1977
Borag, Northern coast7 2 1977
Argo Merchant, Nantucket Island, Massachusetts15 12 1976
NEPCO 140, Saint Lawrence River23 6 1976
Urquiola, A Coruña12 5 1976
St. Peter, Cabo Manglares5 February–November 1976
Niger Delta, Niger Delta – 1996Royal Dutch Shell
Olympic Bravery, Ushant24 January 1976Onassis
Epic Colocotronis Spill, Rincon, Puerto Rico13 05 1975Colocotronis brothers of Greece and Great Britain
Tarik Ibn Ziyad, Sao Sebastiao terminal, Santos26 March 1975
Liberian tanker, Florida1975
Corinthos, Delaware River, Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania31 1 1975
Jakob Maersk, Oporto29 1 1975
Afran Zodiac, Bantry Bay10 1 1975
, Strait of Magellan9 8 1974
Oriental Pioneer, Struisbaai22 July 1974
Jawachta, Smygehuk20 12 1973
Trinimar Marine Well 327, Gulf of Paria8 August 1973
Napier, Guamblin IslandJune 1973
S.S. Zoe Colocotronis Spill, Lajas, Puerto Rico18 03 1973Colocotronis brothers of Greece and Great Britain
Irish Stardust, Vancouver Island, British ColumbiaJanuary 1973
Sea Star, Gulf of Oman19 12 1972Samyang Navigation
Oswego-Guardian / Texanita collision, Stilbaai21 08 1972
Texaco Denmark, North Sea7 December 1971
Navy tanker Towle, New York City, New York, Gravesend Bay14 07 1971
Texaco Oklahoma27 3 1971
Trinity Navigator, Devonshire2 March 1971unknownunknown
Wafra, Cape Agulhas21 02 1971
Arizona Standard / Oregon Standard collision, San Francisco Bay17 01 1971
Othello, Trälhavet Bay20 3 1970
Platform Charlie, Louisiana10 02 1970unknownunknown
, Chedabucto Bay, Nova Scotia04 02 1970
Hamilton Trader, Liverpool Bay, Irish Sea30 April 1969
Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California28 1 1969
Witwater, Canal Zone, Galeta Island13 December 1968
World Glory, 65 miles ENE of Durban13 June 1968World Tankers Co. Inc.
Genevieve, Corpus Christi, Texas25 4 1968unknownunknownLykes Brothers Steamship Co. Ltd.
Andron, between Luderitz and Walvis Bay8 May 1968
Esso EssenApril 1968
General Colocotronis, Eleuthera7 March 1968
Ocean Eagle, San Juan, Puerto Rico3 3 1968Transocean Tankers Inc.
R.C. Stoner, Pacific Ocean, Wake Island
, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly18 3 1967
Mississippi River oil spill , Savage and Mankato, Minnesota8 12 1962 – 23 January 1963
African Queen, Ocean City, Maryland30 12 1958
Avila Beach pipeline, Avila Beach, California's – 1996
Guadalupe Oil Field, Guadalupe, California's – 1994
Sliedrecht, Cape Town, Table BayNovember 1953
SS Jacob Luckenbach, Gulf of the Farallons National Marine Sanctuary, San Francisco, California – present
Esso Wheeling, Quoin Point near Cape Town4 November 1948
Lincoln, Quoin Point near Cape Town1946
Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Newtown Creek, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New Yorks – 1950s
Seria Field 14 wells12 6 1945 – September 1945unknownunknown
Scuttled tanker El GrilloIceland, SeyðisfjörðurFebruary 1944 – presentunknownunknown
/ collision, San Francisco Bay, California06 03 1937
Lakeview Gusher, Kern County, California14 3 1910 – 10 September 1911
Thomas W. Lawson, Isles of Scilly14 12 1907
, Port Phillip Bay, Victoria30 11 1903Asiatic Petroleum Company

Investigation underway

Note: The "flow rate" column applies to leaking wells, pipelines, etc., and is often used to estimate the total amount of oil spilled. The "full cargo" column applies to vessels, vehicles, etc., and represents the maximum amount of oil that could be spilled. The "spilled" columns indicate the total amount of oil that has been released to the environment so far, and should be based on official estimates found in referenced sources whenever possible. When official estimates vary, use the "min tonnes" and "max tonnes" columns to show the range of estimates in metric tonnes.

Oil spills in the United States