Oops They Did It Again - Oil Platform Spill Data

BP Oil Platform Fire & Failure: ..."the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had concluded that oil is leaking at the rate of 5,000 barrels a day, not 1,000 as had been estimated. While emphasizing that the estimates are rough given that the leak is at 5,000 feet below the surface, Admiral Landry said the new estimate came from observations made in flights over the slick, studying the trajectory of the spill and other variables. "
NY Times 042810

Further evidence of the "risky business" of off-shore oil drilling.

Gulf of Mexico Hurricanes: 2004-2005 was worst two year period (23 hurricanes) since 1886-1887 (21 total)

Lots of damage to platforms and mobile rigs, 114 platforms destroyed in Katrina and Rita

Largest U.S. Oil Well Blowouts (Ordered by Volume)

Date - Well Location, Bbl Spilled, Oil Type
1/28/1969 Alpha Well 21 Platform A Pacific (Santa Barbara, CA) 100,000 crude
3/1/1970 Main Pass Block 41 Platform C Gulf of Mexico 65,000 crude
12/1/1970 South Timbalier B-26 Gulf of Mexico 53,095 crude
10/1/1964 Ship Shoal 149/199 Gulf of Mexico 11,847 crude
9/29/1992 Greenhill Timbalier Bay 251* Gulf of Mexico 11,500 crude
2/19/1979 Hebert Bravo 1A Gulf of Mexico 3,500 condensate
7/1/1965 Ship Shoal 29 Gulf of Mexico 1,690 crude
1/13/1995 BLDSU 6 Gulf of Mexico 800 crude
12/26/1992 Block 60 SP0060 Gulf of Mexico 595 condensate
7/8/1994 Fred Stovall Well 9* Gulf of Mexico 595 condensate
2/28/2000 MC 538 Gulf of Mexico 200 crude
9/7/1974 Houma Block PL0020 Gulf of Mexico 75 crude
10/16/1971 Lafayette Block EI 0215 Gulf of Mexico 45 crude
9/9/1990 EI-0296 Gulf of Mexico 8 condensate
3/20/1987 VR-0226 Gulf of Mexico 6 crude
2/23/1985 WD-0090 Gulf of Mexico 5 crude
12/2/1974 Houma Block PL0019 Gulf of Mexico 2 crude

Largest International Oil Well Blowouts (Ordered by Volume)

Date - Well Location, Bbl Spilled
June 1979 – April 1980 Ixtoc I Bahia del Campeche, Mexico 3,300,000
October 1986 Abkatun 91 Bahia del Campeche, Mexico 247,000
April 1977 Ekofisk Bravo North Sea, Norway 202,381
January 1980 Funiwa 5 Forcados, Nigeria 200,000
October 1980 Hasbah 6 Gulf, Saudi Arabia 105,000
December 1971 Iran Marine International Gulf, Iran 100,000
January 1969 Alpha Well 21 Platform A Pacific, CA, USA 100,000
March 1970 Main Pass Block 41 Platform C Gulf of Mexico 65,000
October 1987 Yum II/Zapoteca Bahia del Campeche, Mexico 58,643
December 1970 South Timbalier B-26 Gulf of Mexico, USA 53,095

source: API Publication 356, Aug 2009