The largest oil spill affecting U.S. waters since 1969 is the Deepwater Horizon spill. On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the BP-operated Deepwater Horizon drilling platform caused some 134 million gallons, or 3.2 million barrels, of oil to spill into the Gulf of Mexico until the well was eventually declared sealed on September 19, 2010. This event is also the largest marine oil spill in history.
Largest oil spills affecting waters of the United States from 1969 to 2024
(in million gallons)
*Occurred in Mexico waters, but oil traveled to US waters.
There may be incidents that NOAA was not involved in and therefore are not represented in this statistic. This list also focuses on spills on or into navigable waters. There have been large terrestrial and underground spills that are not listed here. Additionally, spill volumes may be inexact as some of these incidents involved fires, sinkings, hurricanes, and other conditions causing uncertainty.
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (May 30, 2024). Largest oil spills affecting waters of the United States from 1969 to 2024 (in million gallons) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 03, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1472678/largest-us-oil-spills-since-1969/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Largest oil spills affecting waters of the United States from 1969 to 2024 (in million gallons)." Chart. May 30, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 03, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1472678/largest-us-oil-spills-since-1969/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2024). Largest oil spills affecting waters of the United States from 1969 to 2024 (in million gallons). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 03, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1472678/largest-us-oil-spills-since-1969/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Largest Oil Spills Affecting Waters of The United States from 1969 to 2024 (in Million Gallons)." Statista, Statista Inc., 30 May 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1472678/largest-us-oil-spills-since-1969/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Largest oil spills affecting waters of the United States from 1969 to 2024 (in million gallons) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1472678/largest-us-oil-spills-since-1969/ (last visited December 03, 2024)
Largest oil spills affecting waters of the United States from 1969 to 2024 (in million gallons) [Graph], National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, May 30, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1472678/largest-us-oil-spills-since-1969/
