As a follow-up to our previous post, here’s Part II in our series about the marine industry’s most feared occurrence.
Important Oil Spill Statistics, Part 2
- About 78 million gallons of oil enter U.S. waterways each year.
- Over 2,400 Oil Spill were reported in the U.S. in 2015, including discharges of oil and petroleum in U.S. navigable waterways.
- Nearly 9 millions gallons of cruide oil have spilled from pipelines in the U.S. since 2010.
- The 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill cost BP an estimated $62 billion (pre-tax). This induces a $20 billion settlement with the U.S. Justice Department, $5.5 billion civil penalty, and $7.1 billion in claims under the Oil Pollution Act.
- Small and medium-sized spill account for 95% of all incidents recorded in 2017. The causes are largely unknown, but 40% occurred during loading and 29% during discharging operations.
- The average total worldwide annual release of oil from all known sources into the ocean has been estimated at 1.3 million tons.
- The Primary sources are: 46% natural seeps, 37% oil consumption discharges, 12% accidental spills from ships, and 3$ oil extraction.
- Environmental conditions can greatly amplify the damaged caused by spills. For example, the Guld Mexico’s “loop current” widened the hazard area by carrying the oil from the BP Deepwater Horizon incident around the Florida Keys, East Coast, Cuba, and the Yucatan. The Gulf is also a hurricane corridor, increasing the risk of airborne travel as well.
