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Overview of major Oil Spills
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The degree and duration of damage from oil spills is a function of several factors:
- the type of oil spilled (the greatest toxic damage has been produced by lighter oils in more enclosed areas),
- the quantity and duration of the spill,
- seasonal, oceanographic, and meteorological conditions,
- nature of exposed biota,
- habitat and substratum,
- geographic location, and
- type of spill cleanup used (Clark and Finley 1977).
Figure 1 below shows the location of recent major oil spills. The classification is performed by the amount of oil spilled into the ocean.
Table 1 lists for each event the affected area, the type and amount of spilled oil.
| |
|
Year
|
Label
|
Affected Country
|
Affected Region
|
Amount of Spilled Oil
|
Type of Oil
|
|
|
|
|
|
[m³] or
|
[t]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1969
|
Florida
|
USA
|
West Falmouth area, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
|
|
650 - 700
|
Nr. 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1969
|
Hamilton Trader
|
UK
|
Liverpool Bay
|
640
|
|
Nr. 6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1970
|
Arrow
|
Canada
|
Nova Scotia
|
12.000
|
|
Nr. 6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1972
|
Tamano
|
USA
|
Casco Bay, Maine
|
400
|
|
Nr. 6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1976
|
Argo Merchant
|
USA
|
Delaware
|
5.700
|
|
Nr. 6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1976
|
Bohlen
|
France
|
Mer d'Iroise, near Brest, Brittany
|
|
6.500
|
Raw oil
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1976
|
Mobiloil
|
USA
|
Columbia River, Washington
|
540
|
|
Nr. 6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1978
|
Amocco Cadiz
|
France
|
near Brest, Brittany
|
|
223.000
|
light Arabian & light Libyan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1980
|
Tanio
|
France
|
Batz Island, Brittany
|
|
6.500
|
Nr. 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1984
|
Nestuca
|
USA
|
Washington, Olympic Coast
|
11.000
|
|
Nr. 6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1984
|
M/S Eira
|
Finnland
|
Vassa Achipel, Gulf of Bothnia
|
|
250
|
POR 180
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1989
|
Exxon Valdez
|
USA
|
Alaska (1.200 miles offshore)
|
|
38.800
|
Nr. 6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1991
|
Haven
|
Italiy
|
near Genua, Ligurian Sea
|
|
144.000
|
Heavy Irianian
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1992
|
Aegean Sea
|
Spain
|
near La Coruna, Galicia
|
|
80.000
|
Brent raw oil
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1993
|
Braer
|
UK
|
Qendale Bay, Garth Ness, Shetland
|
|
85.000
|
Gullfaks Norwegian raw oil
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1996
|
Sea Empress
|
UK
|
South Wales (200km coastline)
|
|
72.360
|
Forties Blend raw oil
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1997
|
Katja
|
France
|
Le Havre, Normandy
|
183
|
|
Nr. 6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1997
|
Nakhodka
|
Japan
|
West coast, 1.200 km coastline
|
|
5.000
|
Nr. 6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1999
|
Erika
|
France
|
South coast of Brittany, 400km coastline
|
|
20.000
|
Nr. 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2001
|
Baltic Carrier
|
Denmark
|
Bogö, Mön, Falster, 30-50km coastline
|
|
2.700
|
Nr. 6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2002
|
Prestige
|
Spain, France
|
Galicia, Cantabria, 2600km coastline
|
|
60.000
|
Nr. 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2006
|
Jieh Power Plant
|
Libanon, Syrien
|
Lebanese and southern Syrian coast, 100km coastline
|
|
30.000
|
Heavy Oil
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Table 1: Catalogue of major oil spills. Data source: ICES (2006)
References:
- ICES (2006): Report of the Working Group on Biological Effects of Contaminants (WGBEC), 27-31 March 2006, ICES Headquarters, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Clark, R.C. and J.S. Finley (1977): Effects of oil spills in Arctic and Subarctic environments. Chapter 9 In: Malins, D.C. (ed.) Effects of Petroleum on Arctic and Subarctic Marine Organisms. Vol II. Biological Effects. New York: Academic Press, Inc., pp. 411-476.
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