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.
GOLDEN RAY, United States, 2019
On 8th September 2019, the roll on, roll off vessel GOLDEN RAY developed a list and was grounded at the mouth of the Brunswick River, Georgia, while leaving the Port of Brunswick.
Categories: United States, Oil, Non Tanker, RORO, Americas
EAGLE OTOME, United States, 2010
On 23rd January 2010, two barges and their towing vessel DIXIE VENGENCE, collided with the Singapore flagged oil tanker EAGLE OTOME, in the Sabine Neches waterway in Port Arthur, Texas. The collision resulted in a hole near the No. 1 starboard cargo tank of EAGLE OTOME and a spillage of an estimated 1,440 MT of light crude oil cargo.
Categories: United States, Oil, Oil Tanker, Americas
COSCO BUSAN, USA, 2007
Whilst leaving the port of San Francisco in thick fog on 7th November 2007, laden container vessel COSCO BUSAN allided with a pier of the Oakland Bay Bridge causing a tear in the vessel’s hull in the way of two bunker tanks and the discharge of ~200 tonnes of bunker fuel.
Categories: United States, Oil, Container Ship, Americas
SELENDANG AYU, United States, 2004
On 7th December 2004, the Malysian bulk carrier SELENDANG AYU suffered engine failure whilst en-route from Seattle, USA to Xiamen, the People's Republic of China, and ran aground off Skan Bay in Unalaska Island, Alaska. Shortly after the grounding, the vessel broke in two as a result of the severe weather.
Categories: United States, Oil, Bulk Carrier, Americas
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
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
ARGO MERCHANT, United States, 1976
ARGO MERCHANT ran aground on Nantucket Shoals, off Massachusetts, USA, on 15th December 1976, and over the next month spilled her entire cargo (28,000 tonnes) of Venezuelan No 6 fuel oil and cutter stock.
Categories: United States, Oil, Oil Tanker, Americas, Environmental effects