A 501c3 nonprofit organization, we are led by leadership from the five u. The deepwater horizon oil spill and the gulf of mexico fishing industry congressional research service 2 commercial and recreational fisheries other than alaska, historically, the gulf region has produced the greatest amount of seafood by volume and value in the united states. Nearly 10 years ago to the day, the deepwater horizon drilling rig began spilling millions of barrels of oil into the gulf of mexico. Deepwater horizon oil spill, also called gulf of mexico oil spill, largest marine oil spill in history, caused by an april 20, 2010, explosion on the deepwater horizon oil riglocated in the gulf of mexico, approximately 41 miles 66 km off the coast of louisianaand its subsequent sinking on april 22. When we published this, an interesting story emerged. The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land. Bp gulf of mexico oil spill john wyeth griggs synopsis. Vast areas of the gulf of mexico were contaminated with oil, including. Benzoapyrene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pah known to cause cancer and genetic mutations. Summary of information concerning the ecological and. The deepwater horizon oil spill and the gulf of mexico fishing industry congressional research service 3 region. Ixtoc i was an exploratory oil well being drilled by the semisubmersible drilling rig sedco 5 in the bay of campeche of the gulf of mexico, about 100 km 62 mi northwest of ciudad del carmen, campeche in waters 50 m 160 ft deep. Oil spills may be due to releases of crude oil from tankers, offshore platforms, drilling. Keywords octocoral gorgonian gulf of mexico mesophotic zone oil spill health assessment introduction the deepwater horizon oil spill released 4.
The deepwater horizon oil spill and the gulf of mexico fishing industry congressional research service summary on april 20, 2010, the deepwater horizon oil drilling rig was destroyed by an explosion and fire, and the oil well began releasing oil into the gulf of mexico. Social effects of the deepwater horizon oil spill on. Partnered with the occupational safety and health administration osha and national institute of environmental health sciences niehs to provide other federal and state partners, bp, and workers with guidance and educational materials for protecting response workers. Between april and july 2010, the deepwater horizon oil spill dwh released five million barrels of crude oil from the macondo wellhead into the gulf of mexico mcnutt et al. Apr 20, 2010 deepwater horizon oil spill on april 20, 2010, an explosion on the deepwater horizon macondo oil well drilling platform tragically killed 11 workers, and started the largest marine oil spill in u. We had found a chronic, continuous oil spill in the gulf emanating from oil wells that were serviced by a platform at this location. Et to answer questions related to the use, approval and science of dispersants being used on the bp oil spill in the gulf of mexico. In view of the loss of life and the ensuing environmental tragedy. Deepwater energy exploration and production in the gulf of mexico. When this image was taken, three months after the explosion on the deepwater horizon oil rig, the leak had been plugged for eight days. These chemicals and chemical mixtures are being tested for possible adverse health effects of pulmonary and dermal exposure. Pdf the oil spill in the gulf of mexico researchgate. Featured sites web sites with updates on the gulf of mexico oil spill situation. The deepwater horizon oil spill and gulf of mexico shelf hypoxia article pdf available in continental shelf research november 2017 with 146 reads how we measure reads.
Gulf oil spill released approximately 171 million gallons of oil. The explosion caused oil pipes to rupture and spill thousands of barrels of oil into the gulf of mexico. On the night of april 20, 2010, a series of explosions rocked the deepwater horizon oil rig in the gulf of mexico. In 2008, gulf commercial fishery6 landings totaled 1,273. Social impacts of the deepwater horizon oil spill on coastal communities along the u. Oil slick at the taylor energy chronic leak site in gulf of mexico, june 5, 2010. Youll need the lower mississippi river location file to solve these problems. Try working some of the examples to build your gnome skills and learn to work with location files the gnome location files have been compressed as selfextracting zip files so that they can be downloaded more easily from the internet. Oil spill in the gulf of mexico pdf how closely are you following the news on the oil spill. Domestic oil production has increased in recent years, and vast quantities of oil continually enter the country via vessel or pipeline, moving throughout the. By brad buck, public relations specialist at ufifas communications. The loss of life would be steep, but the loss to the environment would be equally devastating as oil began pouring into the gulf of mexico two days after the rig sank and took the riser with it. Deepwater horizon bp gulf of mexico oil spill enforcement us.
Horizon oil spill, the bp oil spill, or the gulf of mexico oil spill, the full magnitude of the environmental, economic, and human health effects of this major disaster remain unknown. It is an independent research program that studies the effect of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as develops improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. Aug 30, 2010 on april 20, 2010, a british petroleum bp offshore oil rig exploded, killing 11 workers on the rig and spilling tens of thousands of barrels of crude oil into the gulf of mexico. Toxicity testing of dispersants epa response to bp spill in. The gulf oil spill is recognized as the worst oil spill in u.
Pdf the deepwater horizon oil spill and gulf of mexico. This chapter describes the deepwater horizon oil spill incident, including a timeline of events and a. The bp oil spill of 2010 was one of the largest in history. During the deepwater horizon dwh oil spill, approximately 200 million. Pahs are found not only in crude oil, but also in many household products. Phytoplankton and the oil spill northern gulf institute. Ixtoc i was an exploratory oil well being drilled by the semisubmersible drilling rig sedco 5 in the bay of campeche of the gulf of mexico, about 100 km 62 mi northwest of ciudad del carmen, campeche in waters 50 m 164 ft deep. Ecological impacts of the deepwater horizon oil spill sage journals. The gulf oil disaster and the future of offshore drilling report to the president bp oil spill commission report on april 20, 2010, the macondo well blew out, costing the lives of 11 men and beginning a catastrophe that sank the deepwater horizon drilling rig and spilled nearly 5 million barrels of crude oil into the gulf of mexico. Platform 23051, as we called it because thats how it was identified by. Bps deepwater horizon oil well, located 5,000 feet below the oceans surface, leaked 5 million barrels 205. These toxicity tests were conducted as part of an overall assessment of bps use of corexit 9500 in response to the oil spill in the gulf. Uk deepwater drilling implications of the gulf of mexico oil. The deepwater horizon oil spill and the gulf of mexico.
How a 672,000gallon oil spill was nearly invisible the new. Scientists are studying aquatic ecosystems in order to fully understand. On april 20, 2010, a british petroleum bp offshore oil rig exploded, killing 11 workers on the rig and spilling tens of thousands of barrels of crude oil into the gulf of mexico. Our network includes federal agencies, academic organizations, businesses, and. Scientists noted that the prevailing paths of the gulf of mexicos loop current and a detached eddy located to the west kept much of the oil, which covered a sizable part of the gulf some three. The gulf of mexico oil spill download ebook pdf, epub. Niosh research scientists are currently conducting toxicology studies on the dispersant used in the deepwater horizon response nalco corexit 9500a, crude oil, and dispersant and crude oil mixtures. The flames were gone when the rig sank, but the oil soon covered an area. Commission on the bp deepwater horizon oil spill and offshore drilling. In april 2010, a oil well blowout in the gulf of mexico off the coast of louisiana, caused an explosion on the deepwater horizon offshore oil drilling rig operated by bp formerly british petroleum and a vast oil spill into the gulf waters that.
The deepwater horizon dwh oil spill was the largest environmental disaster and response. The deepwater horizon oil spill also referred to as the bp oil spill, oil leak, or oil disaster. Turning back to barack obama, do you approve or disapprove of the way barack obama has handled the oil spill in the gulf of mexico. Uk deepwater drilling implications of the gulf of mexico. How a 672,000gallon oil spill was nearly invisible the. The well discharged oil into the gulf of mexico for eightyseven days until the attempt to cement the well shut was successful, but at that point the damage was already done. Department of the interior, bureau of ocean energy management, gulf of mexico ocs region. A stakeholder analysis of the bp oil spill and the. Deepwater horizon bp gulf of mexico oil spill us epa. Oil spill response procedures in the uk are robust, rightly focussing on prevention, followed by containment and then cleanup. The environmental protection agency and the national oceanic and atmospheric administration noaa, hosted a press conference call on may 12 at 4 p. The devastation of the oil spill on april 20, 2010, a massive offshore drilling rig, known as the deepwater horizon. On april 20, 2010, the oil drilling rig deepwater horizon, operating in the macondo prospect in the gulf of mexico, exploded and sank resulting in the death of 11 workers on the deepwater horizon and the largest spill of oil in the history of marine oil drilling operations.
Advances in oil spill science since deepwater horizon on april 20, 2010, an explosion on the deepwater horizon macondo oil well drilling platform killed 11 workers, and started the largest marine oil spill in u. Restore the gulf a federal web portal with information and resources related to the bp deepwater horizon oil. On april 20, 2010, the bp oil companys macondo well blew out in miledeep water in the gulf of mexico, causing the deepwater horizon drill rig to explode, killing 11 workers, injuring 17 others. Evaluating the health impacts of the gulf of mexico oil spill. I am here today to provide an update on cdcs response to the recent gulf of mexico oil spill and our ongoing efforts to anticipate, monitor and respond to the potential health threats to workers and the public. Oil under pressure gushed into the deep ocean from the bps macondo well, located about 1 mile below the ocean surface and about 50 miles offshore. On tuesday, april 20, 2010, an explosion aboard the deep water horizon, located off if the coast of louisiana, sunk the drilling rig, causing oil to spill. Sea grant in the gulf of mexico we are a regional network. Click download or read online button to get the gulf of mexico oil spill book now. Our network includes federal agencies, academic organizations, businesses, and other nonprofits in the region. Gulf of mexico oil spill 2010 alabama department of. Oct 21, 2018 new orleans an oil spill that has been quietly leaking millions of barrels into the gulf of mexico has gone unplugged for so long that it now verges on becoming one of the worst offshore.
On 3 june 1979, the well suffered a blowout resulting in one of the largest oil spills in history. Toxicity testing of dispersants epa response to bp spill. The explosion on april 20, 2010, of energy giant bps deepwater horizon oil rig in the gulf of mexico, coupled with its sinking on april 22, led to the largest accidental marine oil spill in history. The gulf of mexico alliance is a regional ocean partnership working to sustain the resources of the gulf of mexico. Bps project to drill a deepwater oil well in the gulf of mexico was a challenging and complex one involving a large number of stakeholders and resources.
The riser, or pipe, was left crumpled and oil began to spew into the ocean. On april 20, 2010, an explosion occurred on the deepwater horizon drilling platform in the gulf of mexico. Deepwater horizon oil spill final programmatic damage. Dispersants epa response to bp spill in the gulf of mexico. Gulf of mexico forced royal dutch shell on thursday to shut in all wells that flow to its brutus platform, federal regulators said. While we welcome the development of devices to respond to a deepwater blowout in the uk, we urge the government to recognise that oil spill response equipment is not a substitute for a fully functioning blowout preventer. Restore the gulf a federal web portal with information and resources related to the bp deepwater horizon oil spill response and recovery. Along with these location files, you will find a short users guide and example problems for each location. Domestic oil production has increased in recent years, and vast quantities of oil continually enter the country via vessel or pipeline, moving throughout the country to various destinations. Pdf deepwater horizon explosion and subsequent oil. The rig was located about 66 km 41 mi off the coast of louisiana. Niosh protected oil cleanup workers with the following efforts. The goal of their study was to examine how tolerant these two species are to benzoapyrene, a highly toxic component of crude oil. Gulf of mexico alliance home gulf of mexico alliance.
The well contained over 110 million barrels of oil and was greater than,000 feet below sea level cleveland, 2010. Gas in the macondo well had surged upward unexpectedly, causing a mix of drilling mud and seawater to spew uncontrollably into the air much like a volcanic eruption. Act of 1990 be updated to include enhanced funding for oil spill impacts to. Shell oil spill dumps thousands of barrels of crude into. On 20 april 2010 a deepwater oil well exploded in the gulf of mexico. The explosion started a chain of events resulting in the release of approximately 4. About 672,000 gallons of oil spilled when a pipeline fractured about a mile below the oceans surface this month in the gulf of mexico southeast of venice. Shell oil spill dumps thousands of barrels of crude into gulf.
How would you rate the job of british petroleum, or b. Oil alone had similar toxicity to mysid shrimp as the dispersantoil mixtures, with exception of the mixture of nokomis 3aa and oil, which was found to be more toxic. Cdcs environmental health response on april 20, 2010, after the explosion on the deepwater horizon leading to the. On april 20, 2010, an explosion on the deepwater horizon macondo oil well drilling platform tragically killed 11 workers, and started the largest marine oil spill in u. Oil spread from the deep ocean to the surface and nearshore environment from texas to florida. Gulf of mexico oil spill 2010 alabama department of public. Background and governance congressional research service summary oil is a primary source of energy in the united states. Mar 01, 2011 the loss of life would be steep, but the loss to the environment would be equally devastating as oil began pouring into the gulf of mexico two days after the rig sank and took the riser with it.
Noaa was on the scene from the earliest moments of the crisis, bringing more than 25 years of experience protecting and restoring our coasts from oil spills. New orleans an oil spill that has been quietly leaking millions of barrels into the gulf of mexico has gone unplugged for so long that it now verges on becoming one of the worst offshore. The explosion, which killed 11 men, caused the rig to sink and started a catastrophic oil leak from the well. The immediate effect was that it killed 11 people and injured 17 others. The international space station iss observed the gulf of mexico oil spill in late july 2010, as part of ongoing observations of the region. Within days of the april 20, 2010 explosion and sinking of the deepwater horizon oil rig in the gulf of mexico that killed 11 people, underwater cameras revealed the bp pipe was leaking oil and gas on the ocean floor about 42 miles off the coast of louisiana. The bp oil spill has since turned into one of the worst disasters in recent.
Social effects of the deepwater horizon oil spill on coastal. Decline in condition of gorgonian octocorals on mesophotic. Bureau of safety and environmental enforcement bsee said a 2 mile by mile about 3 km by 21 km sheen was visible in the sea about 97 miles off. Subsea videos captured dramatic images of oil spewing unchecked from the wells broken riser pipe. You may need a pdf reader to view some of the files on this page. Pdf on jan 1, 2011, bernhard kitous and others published british petroleum bp oil spill in the gulf of mexico and the area. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. A 14yearlong oil spill in the gulf of mexico verges on. An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution.
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