Largest Oil Spills Affecting U.S. Waters Since 1969
Thousands of spills occur in U.S. waters annuallyโmost small, less than one barrel. This infographic shows where and when spills over 10,000 barrels or 420,000 gallons have occurred.

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Every year, the Office of Response and Restoration responds to over 150 oil and chemical spills in U.S. waters. Oil spills are more common than you might think, and they happen in many different ways.
These spills can threaten life, property, and public natural resources. They can also substantially disrupt marine transportation with potential widespread economic impacts. Derived from records and information kept by NOAAโs Office of Response and Restoration, NOAAโs list of largest spills is ranked by spill volume, however, spill volume is only one factor in determining the overall significance of a spill. Location, time of year, environmental sensitivity, and type of oil are also important. Even small spills can cause significant environmental and economic harm depending upon where they occur.
Derived from records and information kept by NOAAโs Office of Response and Restoration, NOAAโs list of largest spills is ranked by spill volume, however, spill volume is only one factor in determining the overall significance of a spill. Location, time of year, environmental sensitivity, and type of oil are also important. Even small spills can cause significant environmental and economic harm depending upon where they occur.
Infographic Text:
Date | Incident Name | Location | Gallons | Barrels | Incident Type | Oil Type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date
4/20/2010 |
Incident Name
Deepwater Horizon |
Location
Gulf of Mexico |
Gallons
133,980,000 |
Barrels
3,190,000 |
Incident Type
Exploratory Well |
Oil Type
Crude |
Date
6/3/1979 |
Incident Name
Ixtoc 1[i] |
Location
Gulf of Mexico |
Gallons
126,000,000 |
Barrels
3,000,000 |
Incident Type
Exploratory Well |
Oil Type
Crude |
Date
2/26/1977 |
Incident Name
Hawaiian Patriot |
Location Hawaii | Gallons
31,000,000 |
Barrels
738,095 |
Incident Type Tanker | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
1/31/1975 |
Incident Name
Epic Colocotronis |
Location
Puerto Rico |
Gallons
18,000,000 |
Barrels
428,571 |
Incident Type Tanker | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
3/24/1989 |
Incident Name
Exxon Valdez |
Location Alaska | Gallons
11,000,000 |
Barrels
261,905 |
Incident Type Tanker | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
11/1/1979 |
Incident Name
Burmah Agate |
Location
Galveston, TX |
Gallons
10,700,000 |
Barrels
254,762 |
Incident Type Tanker | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
1/31/1975 |
Incident Name Corinthos | Location
Delaware River |
Gallons
10,500,000 |
Barrels
250,000 |
Incident Type Tanker | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
2/27/1971 |
Incident Name
Texaco Oklahoma |
Location
Cape Hatteras |
Gallons
7,900,000 |
Barrels
188,095 |
Incident Type Tanker | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
12/15/1976 |
Incident Name
Argo Merchant |
Location
Nantucket, MA |
Gallons
7,700,000 |
Barrels
183,333 |
Incident Type Tanker | Oil Type
#6 |
Date
6/22/1972 |
Incident Name
Schuylkill River Spill |
Location
Douglassville, PA |
Gallons
7,000,000 |
Barrels
166,667 |
Incident Type
Hurricane |
Oil Type
Waste Oil |
Date
8/30/2005 |
Incident Name
Hurricane Katrina |
Location Louisiana | Gallons
7,000,000 |
Barrels
166,667 |
Incident Type Hurricane | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
6/8/1990 |
Incident Name
Mega Borg |
Location
Offshore, TX |
Gallons
5,100,000 |
Barrels
121,429 |
Incident Type Tanker | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
1/28/1969 |
Incident Name
Santa Barbara |
Location California | Gallons
4,000,000 |
Barrels
95,238 |
Incident Type
Oil Platform |
Oil Type
Crude |
Date
1/4/1988 |
Incident Name
Ashland Petroleum |
Location
Monongahela River |
Gallons
3,800,000 |
Barrels
90,476 |
Incident Type
Storage Tank |
Oil Type
#2 |
Date
6/14/1971 |
Incident Name
Santa Augusta |
Location
St. Croix, USVI |
Gallons
3,300,000 |
Barrels
78,571 |
Incident Type Tanker | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
7/30/1984 |
Incident Name Alvenus | Location
Calcasieu, LA |
Gallons
2,800,000 |
Barrels
66,667 |
Incident Type Tanker | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
2/10/1970 |
Incident Name
Chevron Main Pass Block 41 |
Location
Offshore, LA |
Gallons
2,730,000 |
Barrels
65,000 |
Incident Type Well | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
1/6/1972 |
Incident Name
USS General M.C. Meigs |
Location
Cape Flattery, WA |
Gallons
2,300,000 |
Barrels
54,762 |
Incident Type
Troop Ship |
Oil Type
Bunker |
Date
5/26/1976 |
Incident Name
Wellen Oil Company |
Location
Hackensack River, NJ |
Gallons
2,000,000 |
Barrels
47,619 |
Incident Type
Tank Farm |
Oil Type
#6 |
Date
12/26/1988 |
Incident Name
UMTB 283 |
Location
Shumagin Is, AK |
Gallons
2,000,000 |
Barrels
47,619 |
Incident Type Barge | Oil Type
#2 |
Date
11/11/2005 |
Incident Name
DBL 152 |
Location
Gulf of Mexico |
Gallons
1,900,000 |
Barrels
45,238 |
Incident Type Barge | Oil Type
Bunker |
Date
6/19/2006 |
Incident Name
Citgo Refinery |
Location
Lake Charles, LA |
Gallons
2,268,000 |
Barrels
54,000 |
Incident Type
Refinery |
Oil Type
Waste Oil |
Date
3/18/1973 |
Incident Name
Zoe Colocotroni |
Location
Puerto Rico |
Gallons
1,500,000 |
Barrels
35,714 |
Incident Type Tanker | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
1/13/1974 |
Incident Name Zannis | Location
Guayanilla, PR |
Gallons
1,500,000 |
Barrels
35,714 |
Incident Type Tanker | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
10/31/1984 |
Incident Name
Puerto Rican |
Location
San Francisco, CA |
Gallons
1,500,000 |
Barrels
35,714 |
Incident Type Tanker | Oil Type
Bunker |
Date
12/17/1976 |
Incident Name Sansinena | Location
Los Angeles, CA |
Gallons
1,260,000 |
Barrels
30,000 |
Incident Type Tanker | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
7/26/2010 |
Incident Name
Kalamazoo River |
Location Michigan | Gallons
1,100,000 |
Barrels
26,190 |
Incident Type Pipeline | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
9/17/1989 |
Incident Name
Hurricane Hugo |
Location
St. Croix, USVI |
Gallons
1,008,000 |
Barrels
24,000 |
Incident Type
Tank Farm |
Oil Type
#6 |
Date
2004 |
Incident Name
Taylor Energy Platform[iv] |
Location
Gulf of Mexico |
Gallons
1,000,000 |
Barrels
23,809 |
Incident Type
Oil Platform |
Oil Type
Crude |
Date
7/26/1996 |
Incident Name
Reedy River |
Location
Simpsonville, SC |
Gallons
957,000 |
Barrels
22,786 |
Incident Type Pipeline | Oil Type
#2 |
Date
1/18/1971 |
Incident Name
Oregon Standard |
Location
San Francisco, CA |
Gallons
840,000 |
Barrels
20,000 |
Incident Type
Collision |
Oil Type
Bunker Fuel |
Date
1/19/1996 |
Incident Name
North Cape |
Location
Rhode Island |
Gallons
828,000 |
Barrels
19,714 |
Incident Type
Tank Barge |
Oil Type
Diesel |
Date
1/7/1994 |
Incident Name
Morris J. Berman |
Location
Puerto Rico |
Gallons
800,000 |
Barrels
19,047 |
Incident Type
Tank Barge |
Oil Type
Bunker |
Date
3/6/1990 |
Incident Name
Cibro Savannah |
Location
Linden, NJ |
Gallons
700,000 |
Barrels
16,667 |
Incident Type Barge | Oil Type
#2 |
Date
7/28/1990 |
Incident Name
Apex Barges |
Location
Galveston, TX |
Gallons
692,000 |
Barrels
16,476 |
Incident Type Barge | Oil Type
Feed Stock |
Date
10/13/2017 |
Incident Name
Mississippi Canyon 209 |
Location
Offshore Louisiana |
Gallons 672,000 | Barrels
16,000 |
Incident Type Pipeline | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
7/13/1988 |
Incident Name
Nord Pacific |
Location
Corpus Christi, TX |
Gallons
650,000 |
Barrels
15,476 |
Incident Type Tanker | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
12/7/2022 |
Incident Name
Mill Creek Pond Inland Oil Spill |
Location
Devon, KS |
Gallons
588,000 |
Barrels
14,000 |
Incident Type Pipeline | Oil Type
Diluted Bitumen |
Date
3/6/1991 |
Incident Name
Vista Bella[ii] |
Location
USVI and Puerto Rico |
Gallons
570,000 |
Barrels
13,571 |
Incident Type Barge | Oil Type
Bunker |
Date
1/1/1990 |
Incident Name
Exxon Bayway |
Location
Arthur Kill, NJ |
Gallons
567,000 |
Barrels
13,500 |
Incident Type Pipeline | Oil Type
#2 |
Date
11/28/2000 |
Incident Name
Westchester |
Location
Buras, LA |
Gallons
554,000 |
Barrels
13,190 |
Incident Type Tanker | Oil Type
Crude |
Date
12/4/1986 |
Incident Name
Amazon Venture |
Location
Savannah River, SC |
Gallons
500,000 |
Barrels
11,905 |
Incident Type Tanker | Oil Type
#6 |
Date
5/10/2019 |
Incident Name
Bayport Channel Collision |
Location
Houston Ship Channel, TX |
Gallons 462,000 | Barrels
11,000 |
Incident Type Collision | Oil Type
Reformate |
Date
1/23/2010 |
Incident Name
Eagle Otome |
Location
Port Arthur, TX |
Gallons
462,000 |
Barrels
11,000 |
Incident Type
Tanker |
Oil Type
Crude |
Date
12/19/1978 |
Incident Name
Peck Slip |
Location
Puerto Rico |
Gallons
460,000 |
Barrels
10,952 |
Incident Type
Barge |
Oil Type
Bunker |
Date
7/22/1991 |
Incident Name
Tenyo Maru[iii] |
Location
Cape Flattery, WA |
Gallons
450,000 |
Barrels
10,714 |
Incident Type
Fishing Vessel |
Oil Type
Mixed |
Date
9/28/1985 |
Incident Name
Grand Eagle |
Location
Marcus Hook, PA |
Gallons
435,000 |
Barrels
10,357 |
Incident Type
Tanker |
Oil Type
Crude |
Date
7/23/2008 |
Incident Name
DM932 |
Location
New Orleans, LA |
Gallons
420,000 |
Barrels
10,000 |
Incident Type
Barge |
Oil Type
#6 |
[i] Occurred in Mexico waters but oil traveled to US waters
[ii] Occurred in Canadian waters but oil traveled to US waters
[iii] Occurred in the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis but oil traveled to US waters
[iv] The Taylor Energy spill has been ongoing since 2004 and the volume isn't known at this time. Detailed flow rate monitoring in 2018 indicated the release of approximately 900 gallons per day. 1M gallons were collected via a containment system 2019-2022. https://darrp.noaa.gov/oil-spills/taylor-energy
Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to develop a complete list, there may be incidents that NOAA was not involved in and therefore are not represented here. This list is also focused on spills on or into navigable waters. There have been large terrestrial and underground spills that are not listed here. Also note that spill volumes may be inexact as some of these incidents involved fires, sinkings, hurricanes, and other conditions causing uncertainty.