History of Major Oil Spill Disasters (ContributorNetwork)

An oil leak off the coast of Nigeria is considered by experts to be the worst oil spill in nearly a decade for the western African nation that is one of chief exporters of petroleum products to the United States.

Here is a list of some other major oil disasters:

* 2011 Nigerian Shell Oil -- Nearly two million gallons of oil have leaked from the Bongo oil production facility off the Nigerian coast. Associated Press reported that the spill likely occurred while offloading petroleum on to an awaiting tanker. More than 50 percent of the leaking oil has been recovered or evaporated, according to representatives from the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency. The production field is a joint venture between Royal Dutch Shell Oil and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

* 2010 Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon -- Nearly 200 million gallons of oil pumped into the Gulf of Mexico following at explosion that killed 11 rig workers at the Deepwater Horizon platform. Associated Press reports that BP paid billions of dollars to families, area industry and business and in clean-up expenses from the worst disaster in the Gulf, but still faces a significant charge for unresolved claims and fines. Litigation between Halliburton, Transocean and other partners is likely to take years to resolve in the courts.

* 1998 Nigerian Mobil Oil -- Nearly 40 million barrels of oil seeped into the ocean waters off the coast of Nigerian when a 24-inch underwater pipeline crack went unnoticed overnight, according to a report by The New York Times. Publicity about the disaster was stifled by a military government intent on lessening the damage from the spill. Exaggerated compensation claims from residents in the affected coastal areas - amounting to $4.5 billion in a single day -- plagued Mobil officials for months afterwards.

* 1989 Exxon Valdez -- Nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil were spilled into the Prince William Sound when the tanker Exxon Valdez struck a reef. According to the EPA, it was the largest oil spill in American history (up to that time) and challenged federal, state and local authorities to work with company officials in an enormous clean-up effort. Many oil leak recovery processes used today were developed or perfected during this crisis, including use of dispersants that were deemed ineffective in the Sound. Congress reacted by strengthening the role of the U.S. Coast Guard in monitoring oil tankers.

Dan McGinnis is a freelance writer, published author and former newspaper publisher. He has been a candidate, campaign manager and press secretary for state and local political campaigns for more than 30 years.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/energy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111223/wl_ac/10736599_history_of_major_oil_spill_disasters

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