Replies to post #31942 on A.I.M. Users Bulletin Board (AIMUSERS)

[jersey al]

There are various Web sites and posts to wit that the Exxon Valdez is the 35th worst oil spill.

The worst was during Gulf War I when Saddam Hussein dumped 500 million gallons.

There was a 140 million gallon oil spill in 1979, in the Gulf of Mexico, the IXTOC I that spewed for nine or ten months.

The Exxon Valdez was about ten million gallons.

On an average year, there are about 250 million gallons spilled from various factors.

No estimate of natural seeps, which are substantial. Drilling reduced the pressure which reduces the volume of natural seeps.

Very complicated and emotional subject.

There have also been major leaks from pipelines that went undetected for years. For some of them there are no estimates of any reliability.

[jersey al]

Here's a very good Web site with updated stuff on the Gulf leak:

http://alfin2100.blogspot.com/search/label/Oil%20Spills

By the way, I did buy a very small amount of BP. Their 2009 earnings were somewhere around $15 billion if I recall correctly. The Gulf Oil spill could cost them $3 or $4 billion.

[jersey al]

Apologies for going on and on. Here's a post I cribbed from elsewhere:

http://alfin2100.blogspot.com/2010/05/10-biggest-oil-spills-in-history-how.html

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill on June 3, 1979 was probably the largest in our region.

But, apparently, no one remembers it.

Uxtoc 1

Bay of Compeche, Cuidad del Camina, Mexico

Leaked for a year; 100 million gallons.

[need to double check the spelling]

Also 1979: During a tropical storm off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago, a Greek oil tanker collided with another ship and lost its entire cargo: 90 million gallons. [sounds worse than 2 million barrels]

Of the top ten worse list, the Exxon Valdez was probably not on the list because it was so small by comparison. Might be down around #34.

Apparently, also [underwater?] pipelines leaked for decades and no one noticed. I found one for the Guadalupe oil field; San Luis Obispo County, California. Estimates are that between 10 million and 20 million gallons leaked. No one knows. The substance that leaked was diluent apparently used in oil extraction.

Greenpoint oil spill. 1950's. 17 million to 30 million gallons. Brooklyn, NY

Galveston, Texas. November 1, 1979. 10 million gallons Burmah Agate

These are local to the Gulf of Mexico.

The biggest of all was when Saddam Hussein ordered a large release which was 500 million gallons to 1,000 million gallons; 1991; into the Arabian Gulf off Kuwait. 1991-92

84 million gallons; Russia; 1994; unnoticed for eight months.

80 million gallons; Persian Gulf; 1983; seven months; tanker collided with drill platform.

79 million gallons; South Africa; 1983; tanker caught fire and sank; 25 off Saldanha Bay.

69 million gallons; France; 1978; tanker Amaco Cadiz went aground in a storm; English Channel.

50+ million gallons; Angola; 1991; tanker exploded.

45 million gallons; Italy; 1991; tanker sank; still leaking

40 million gallons; Atlantic Ocean; 1988; Odyssey oil spill; 700 miles off Nova Scotia.

The Exxon Valdez oil spill [10 million gallons] was a disaster, but there were at least 33 oil spills that were larger.

[jersey al]

I'm not doing this right. Serves me right for not posting for such a long time.

Long story.

The list I posted of oil spills suggests that the most/worst/ most frequent oil spills occur from shipwrecks of oil tankers. Versus one spill per ??? ten years from a rig.

So, if we have a moratorium on drilling, the rigs will be moved away to foreign locations. And the U.S. will have to INCREASE its dependence on imported oil, coming in by tanker, with the result of more oil spills rather than less oil spills.

Sort of a Catch -22.

And to all a good night.

P.S. There is an interesting Web site with disaster pictures, ship wrecks, and reports.

www.cargolaw.com

[Off topic, but it also has a section on piracy]