Case Studies
This section contains summaries of major spills from 1967 to the present day, looking at the incident, response, our involvement together with selected bibliographies and web links, where available.
KHARK 5, off Morocco, 1989
Early in the morning of 19th December 1989, Iranian tanker KHARK 5, carrying 280,000 tonnes of Iranian heavy crude oil, was damaged in a storm, exploded and caught fire approximately 150 nautical miles off the coast of Morocco, north east of the Canary Islands.
Categories: Morocco, Oil, Oil Tanker, Africa
EXXON VALDEZ, Alaska, United States, 1989
EXXON VALDEZ grounded on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on 24th March 1989. About 37,000 tonnes of Alaska North Slope crude escaped into the Sound and spread widely.
Categories: United States, Oil, Oil Tanker, Americas
ODYSSEY, off Canada, 1988
On 10th November 1988, the Liberian tanker ODYSSEY, almost fully loaded with a cargo of 132,157 tonnes of North Sea Brent crude oil, broke into two and sank in heavy weather in the North Atlantic 700 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia while on voyage from Sullom Voe, Shetland Islands to Come by Chance, Newfoundland. Fire started on the stern section as it sank and the surrounding oil caught fire.
Categories: Canada, Oil, Oil Tanker, Americas
NOVA, off Iran, 1985
During the night of 6th December 1985 very large crude carrier (VLCC) NOVA, carrying 188,000 tonnes of Iranian Light crude oil, collided with ultra large crude carrier (ULCC) MAGNUM, in ballast, approximately 90 nautical miles south-east of Khark Island in the Gulf of Iran.
Categories: Iran, Oil, Oil Tanker, Asia
CASTILLO DE BELLVER, South Africa, 1983
CASTILLO DE BELLVER was carrying 252,000 tonnes of light crude oil (Murban and Upper Zakum), when it caught fire about 70 miles north-west of Cape Town, South Africa.
Categories: South Africa, Oil, Oil Tanker, Africa
TANIO, France, 1980
On the 7th of March 1980, the tanker TANIO was carrying 26,000 tonnes of No.6 fuel oil, before breaking in two during violent weather conditions off the coast of Brittany, France. As a result approximately 13,500 tonnes of cargo oil was spilled.
Categories: France, Oil, Oil Tanker, Europe, Economic effects
INDEPENDENTA, Bosphorus, Turkey, 1979
On 15th November 1979, Romanian tanker INDEPENDENTA collided with the Greek cargo ship EVRIALI, off Haydarpasa at the entrance to the Bosphorus, in Turkey. A part of the cargo of 93,800 tonnes of Libyan Es Sider crude oil spilled and caught fire.
Categories: Turkey, Oil, Oil Tanker, Asia
ATLANTIC EMPRESS, West Indies, 1979
On 19th of July 1979, two fully loaded VLCCs (very large crude carriers), the ATLANTIC EMPRESS and AEGEAN CAPTAIN, were involved in a collision approximately 10 miles off Tobago during a tropical rainstorm. Both vessels began leaking oil immediately after the collision and both caught fire.
Categories: West Indies, Oil, Oil Tanker, Americas
AMOCO CADIZ, France, 1978
The tanker AMOCO CADIZ ran aground off the coast of Brittany on 16th March 1978 following a steering gear failure. Over a period of two weeks the entire cargo of 223,000 tonnes of light Iranian and Arabian crude oil and 4,000 tonnes of bunker fuel was released into heavy seas. Much of the oil quickly formed a viscous water-in-oil emulsion, increasing the volume of pollutant by up to five times. By the end of April oil and emulsion had contaminated 320km of the Brittany coastline, and had extended as far east as the Channel Islands.
Categories: France, Oil, Oil Tanker, Europe, Environmental effects
HAWAIIAN PATRIOT, off Hawaii, 1977
On 23rd February 1977, HAWAIIAN PATRIOT, fully loaded with 99,000 tonnes of light Indonesian crude oil, en route from Indonesia to Honolulu, reported a crack in its hull plating during a storm. This resulted in a leak of oil from the cargo holds approximately 300 miles west of Hawaii.
Categories: United States, Oil, Oil Tanker, Americas