MAJOR OIL SPILLS IN THE WORLD Introduction Oil

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MAJOR OIL SPILLS IN THE WORLD

MAJOR OIL SPILLS IN THE WORLD

Introduction • Oil spill refers to any uncontrolled release of crude oil, gasoline, fuels,

Introduction • Oil spill refers to any uncontrolled release of crude oil, gasoline, fuels, or other oil by-products into the environment particularly, onto the surface of a large body of water • Oceanic oil spills became a major environmental problem in the 1960 s, mainly following intensified petroleum exploration and production on continental shelves • Despite the increasing stringent shipping and environmental regulations, thousands of minor and several major oil spills are reported each year • Basically, oil spills can pollute land, air, or water

Major oil spills in the world and their year of occurrence • The Atlantic

Major oil spills in the world and their year of occurrence • The Atlantic Empress Oil Spill (1979) • BP's Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (2010) • The Persian Gulf War Oil Spill (1991) • Mauritius oil spill (25 July 2020) • Venezuela’s oil spill May 19, 2020/ 8 August 2020

Venezuela's Oil Spill • It occurred in May 19, 2020 from an oil pipeline

Venezuela's Oil Spill • It occurred in May 19, 2020 from an oil pipeline close to a petroleum plant in the Delaware region • Chemical analysis showed it was a petro-chemical reaction from a refinery causing a spill that stretched over 7. 5 kilometres in length affecting a critical habitat for a variety of animals • It caused damage to the beaches of Morrocoy National Park and Falcon’s wetlands affecting reefs and mangrove forests that are breeding grounds for reef fish, sandy beaches that are habitats and nesting grounds for turtles • Though the volume was seemingly small, it caused more harm due contamination with UV light making it more toxic

 • The evaporating emissions from oil released carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing

• The evaporating emissions from oil released carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming (Pradhan, (2020). • A lot of oil washed onto the shore with coming tides affecting people’s livelihood (Jacketti. , et al 2020). • The leaked oil drained into the internationally protected corals affecting the turtle breeding and nesting grounds

 • The government downplayed the extent of the damage by ignoring the breaking

• The government downplayed the extent of the damage by ignoring the breaking up of vessel leading to a national protest • Secretive investigations by environmental activist groups reveal that 26, 730 barrels were leaked • Venezuela’s once powerful oil industry is literally falling apart, with years of mismanagement, corruption, falling prices and a U. S. restriction imposed last year bringing the country’s infrastructure to the brink of collapse • Overfishing away from the affected coastline • Long term effects are expected to last for more than 50 years

Deepwater Horizon (Gulf of Mexico Oil spill) • It is the world's largest accidental

Deepwater Horizon (Gulf of Mexico Oil spill) • It is the world's largest accidental oil spill in the petroleum industry’s history (20, April 2010) • The accident began after a spill from a seafloor oil gusher, leading to the explosion of the BP’s (British Petroleum's) oil rig, in its Macondo Prospect • An estimated 53, 000 barrels were flowing into the Gulf of Mexico every day for 3 months leading to death of 11 workers

 • According to the Centre for Biological Diversity, the accident also made extensive

• According to the Centre for Biological Diversity, the accident also made extensive damages to the marine environment • the oil spill killed over 82, 000 birds, 25, 900 marine mammals, 6, 000 sea turtles and tens of thousands of fish, among others • The Gulf fishing and tourism industries produce $3. 5 billion to $4. 5 billion a year It cost BP $4 billion to contain and clean up the mess and another $4 billion to $5 billion in penalties. Impact on Fisheries • The oil disaster affected the cellular function of the killifish, a common baitfish at the base of the food chain. It harmed the development of larger fish such as mahi and reduced the number of juvenile bluefin tuna by 20%.

 • Benefit the economy • JPMorgan Chase calculated that oil spill clean-up efforts

• Benefit the economy • JPMorgan Chase calculated that oil spill clean-up efforts actually boosted the economy in 2012. BP spent $6 billion to hire 4, 000 people to clean up the spill that year. This contributed more than the $700 million lost in fishing and tourism revenues and the 3, 000 jobs lost to the six-month deep-water drilling moratorium. • Impact to wildlife • Between May 2010 and November 2012, more than 1, 700 sea turtles were found stranded. This is compared to 240 normally found a year. In addition, 930 dolphins and whales were discovered stranded during the period from February 2010 to April 2013. Only 20 a year are usually found in this state (Slack. , et al 2020).

 • Environmental effects • Almost 10 million pounds of oily residue was removed

• Environmental effects • Almost 10 million pounds of oily residue was removed from Louisiana shorelines between June 2011 and April 7, 2013. Even after the clean-up, more than 200 miles still had this oily residue embedded in its marshlands. It killed vegetation and caused erosion. • While Louisiana was the hardest hit, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida shorelines were also impacted. Here's how much oil residue was collected in each state. • Louisiana - 9, 810, 133 pounds • Alabama - 941, 427 pounds • Mississippi - 112, 449 pounds • Florida - 73, 341 pounds

The Mauritius Oil Spill • It was referred to as the ‘worst environmental disaster

The Mauritius Oil Spill • It was referred to as the ‘worst environmental disaster ever in Mauritius’ • It occurred on 25 July 2020, whereby a bulk carrier vessel, MV Wakashio, ran aground on the reef of Point d’Esny, off the coast of Mauritius • The ship began to leak fuel oil in the following weeks, and broke apart in mid August • It caused devastating effects on, seagrass, mudflats, dunes, mangroves, sand beaches and lagoons

 • Settling of oily substance spillage on the mangrove reduced their respiratory capacity

• Settling of oily substance spillage on the mangrove reduced their respiratory capacity which depend on breathing roots • Many sea mammals like dolphins and melon headed whales were found dead in the local beaches while more were found ill • Lack of transparency and reliable information led to population distrust • The effect was more toxic due to use of chemical clean up operation

 • Corals that survived could have weakened resistance to marine heatwaves, which are

• Corals that survived could have weakened resistance to marine heatwaves, which are hitting the area due to climate change and have already caused some coral bleaching, experts say • Oil also could sink into sediments around mangroves, where it could smother molluscs, crabs and fish larvae, said Callum Roberts, a professor of marine conservation at the University of Exeter in Britain • Birds nesting in the mangroves, or migrating via nearby mudflats, are also vulnerable. Ingesting oil can make it hard for birds to fight disease or even to fly, said environmental toxicologist Christopher Goodchild at Oklahoma State University. • On land, some scientists warn that washed up oil deposits could harden and lead to lasting change

 • The livelihoods of vulnerable communities living along the coast are also under

• The livelihoods of vulnerable communities living along the coast are also under threat as fishing activities have been hampered • The closure of international borders due to COVID-19 has already threatened many small businesses that are dependent on tourism. Now, the likes of glass bottom boat operators in the Blue Bay Marine Park face the additional challenges posed by the oil spill a few kilometers away from (Barmania, 2020).

 • Tourists could not access Point d’Esny Wetlands which are designated as a

• Tourists could not access Point d’Esny Wetlands which are designated as a site of international importance under the Convention on Wetlands • Although much of the oil on board Wakashio was pumped out before she broke in half, an estimated 1, 000 tonnes of oil spilled into the ocean • Being the most recent oil spill it is quite difficult to assert fully the extent of damage caused so far • Scientists are analysing the long term effects of the new fuel initiated on its fate and behaviour in the environment particularly over a long period (Zimmer, 2020).

Conclusion • The root causes of safety in the global shipping industry have never

Conclusion • The root causes of safety in the global shipping industry have never been fully addressed • Many of the world ’s major spills exhibit long-term consequences, associated mainly with lagoons, estuaries and marshes. • This is due to the persistence of oil or petroleum fractions in these lowenergy environments. • The bioavailability of residual oil to fauna is influenced by several factors, such as solubility in water, feeding habit, weathering rate and sediment grain size. • To conclude, there should be a strong international call for change to prevent oil spills

References • Barmania, S. (2020). Questions over health response to Mauritius oil spill. The

References • Barmania, S. (2020). Questions over health response to Mauritius oil spill. The Lancet, 396(10251), 592. • Jacketti, M. , Englehardt, J. D. , & Beegle-Krause, C. J. (2020). Application of the SOSim v 2 Model to Spills of Sunken Oil in Rivers. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 8(9), 729. • Pradhan, S. K. (2020). India’s Quest for Energy Through Oil and Natural Gas: Trade and Investment, Geopolitics, and Security. Springer Nature. • Slack, T. , Kroeger, R. A. , Stroope, S. , Keating, K. S. , Sury, J. , Brooks, J. , . . . & Beedasy, J. (2020). Deepwater Horizon oil spill exposure and child health: a longitudinal analysis. Population and Environment, 1 -24. • Zimmer, M. (2020). Oil spill-effects on coastal ecosystems of Mauritius

Group Members • • • WAHAKE SAMUEL THUITA EVITAR ALUOCH OCHIENG STELLA KAZUNGO LILIAN

Group Members • • • WAHAKE SAMUEL THUITA EVITAR ALUOCH OCHIENG STELLA KAZUNGO LILIAN ACHIENG’ SIMON KARAMU ANNE MUTUKU ROBINSON KAGURU MARITIM PETER KIPRONO NYONGESA ALEXANDER CAROLINE MANYA KELVIN NYARIKI