Freight Facts and Figures 2013

Table 5-18. Petroleum Oil Spills Impacting Navigable U.S. Waterways: 1990 and 2000-2011 (Historical)

Source	1990		2000		2001		2002		2003		2004		2005		2006		2007		2008		2009		2010¹		2011
Source	Incidents	Gallons spilled	Incidents	Gallons spilled	Incidents	Gallons spilled	Incidents	Gallons spilled	Incidents	Gallons spilled	Incidents	Gallons spilled	Incidents	Gallons spilled	Incidents	Gallons spilled	Incidents	Gallons spilled	Incidents	Gallons spilled	Incidents	Gallons spilled	Incidents	Gallons spilled	Incidents	Gallons spilled
Total, all spills	8,177	7,915,007	8,354	1,431,370	7,559	854,520	4,497	638,883	4,192	401,139	3,897	1,416,713	3,881	9,926,580	4,184	2,836,307	3,808	705,342	3,400	760,230	3,304	211,601	3,007	1,132,593	3,065	210,271
Vessel sources, total	2,485	6,387,158	5,560	1,033,643	5,021	569,856	1,816	247,382	1,715	210,805	1,705	1,306,557	1,835	2,124,808	1,993	416,987	1,928	235,340	1,644	536,141	1,645	126,658	1,508	894,934	1,531	107,663
Tankship	249	4,977,251	111	608,176	95	125,217	55	4,753	38	4,450	35	636,834	37	2,976	38	4,292	42	46,731	34	1,337	28	14,417	23	421,583	26	1,702
Tank barge	457	992,025	229	133,540	246	212,298	126	30,219	156	102,874	143	215,822	126	2,006,774	134	287,343	113	4,516	106	286,637	98	4,424	73	965	67	15,852
Other vessels²	1,779	417,882	5,220	291,927	4,680	232,341	1,635	212,410	1,521	103,481	1,527	453,901	1,672	115,058	1,821	125,352	1,773	184,093	1,504	248,167	1,519	107,816	1,412	472,386	1,438	90,109
Nonvessel sources, total	2,584	1,408,472	1,645	373,761	1,465	270,523	1,286	200,871	1,140	93,515	1,137	70,456	1,146	7,771,646	1,258	2,290,803	1,233	439,723	1,148	197,525	979	54,275	1,007	228,941	1,159	94,759
Facilities³	2287	1,059,302	1,054	311,604	995	201,025	1,219	198,718	1,083	78,202	1,099	42,675	1,020	7,633,248	1,163	2,281,674	1,084	141,857	1,007	178,990	927	51,703	869	221,642	1,004	89,467
Pipelines	148	316,928	25	17,021	34	13,577	0	0	1	14,952	1	15,000	24	136,465	21	2,229	36	295,165	36	14,809	16	1,657	34	4,627	38	1,687
All other non-vessels⁴	148	32,242	566	45,136	436	55,921	67	2,153	56	361	37	12,781	102	1,934	101	6,901	113	2,701	105	3,726	36	916	105	206,582,872	117	3,605
Unknown/ Unidentified	3,108	119,377	1,149	23,966	1,073	14,141	1,395	190,630	1,337	96,819	1,055	39,700	900	30,126	933	128,517	647	30,279	608	26,564	680	30,667	492	8,718	375	7,849

¹The largest spill in U. S. waters began on April 20, 2010 with an explosion and fire on the mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) Deepwater Horizon. Subsequently, the MODU sank, leaving an open exploratory well to discharge crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico for nearly three months. The most commonly accepted spill amount from the well is approximately 206.6 million gallons.

²Other vessels include commercial vessels, fishing boats, freight barges, freight ships, industrial vessels, oil recovery vessels, passenger vessels, unclassified public vessels, recreational boats, research vessels, school ships, tow and tug boats, mobile offshore drilling units, offshore supply vessels, publicly owned tank and freight ships, as well as vessels not fitting any particular class (unclassified).

³Facilities include mobile offshore drilling units, offshore supply vessels, offshore platforms, designated waterfront facilities, fixed platforms, mobile facilities, and municipal facilities.

⁴All other non-vessels include aircraft, land vehicles, railroad equipment, bridges, factories, fleeting areas, industrial facilities, marinas, common carriers, sewer drainage, shipyard/repair facilities, and shorelines.

Notes:

The spike in Gallons spilled for 2005 can be attributed to the passage of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi on Aug. 29, 2005, which caused numerous spills approximating 8 million gallons of oil in U.S. waters. The largest spill in U. S. waters began on April 20, 2010 with an explosion and fire on the mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) Deepwater Horizon. Subsequently, the MODU sank, leaving an open exploratory well to discharge crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico for several weeks. The most commonly accepted spill amout from the well is approximately 206.6 million gallons, plus approximately 400,000 gallons of oil products from the MODU. The totals in this table may be different from those that appear in the source, due to rounding by the source.

Source:

U.S. Coast Guard, Polluting Incidents In and Around U.S. Waters, A Spill/Release Compendium: 1969-2011 (Washington, DC: December 2012), tables Number of Spills by Source and Volume of Spills by Source (Gallons).

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