Major oil tanker spills

Fears of an environmental disaster in the East China Sea are growing as a tanker continues to leak oil days after colliding with a cargo ship


Jan 6, 2018: Oil tanker Sanchi, carrying 136,000 tonnes of ultra light crude, hits Chinese freighter. 32 crew from tanker still missing


1978: Amoco Cadiz
223,000 tonnes*

1979: Atlantic Empress
287,000 tonnes

1983: Castillo de Bellver
252,000 tonnes

1989: Exxon Valdez
37,000 tonnes

1991: ABT Summer
260,000 tonnes

1991: Haven
144,000 tonnes

1996: Sea Empress
72,000 tonnes

2002: Prestige
63,000 tonnes

2007: Hebei Spirit
11,000 tonnes


OIL SPILT (Millions tonnes, 1970-2016)

Tanker incidents causing large oil spills – greater than 700 tonnes – have reduced from average 24.5 per year in 1970s to 1.7 per year since 2010

1970-79: 3,192,000 tonnes (24.5 spills per year average)

1980-89: 1,174,000 tonnes (9.4)

1990-99: 1,133,000 tonnes (7.7)

2000-09: 196,000 tonnes (3.2)

2010-16: 39,000 tonnes (1.7)

3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0


*Tonnages include all oil lost, including product which burnt or remained in sunken vessel

Sources: International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF), Reuters
Picture: Newscom
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