EXXON VALDEZ
AND
MEXICO`S GULF
OILL SPILL
x o n
E x z
a l d e
V
Exxon Valdez
On march 24, 1989, in Prince William Sound,
Alaska; the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker hit
Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled
an estimated minimum of 41 million US gallons
of crude oil. Eight of the eleven tanks on board
were damaged. The oil would eventually
impact over 1,100 miles of non-continuous
coastline in Alaska, making the Exxon Valdez
one of the largest oil spill to date in U.S.
waters.
Its trip was supposed to be from Alaska to Los
Angeles, California. The company
responsible for this oil spill was The Exxon
Mobil Corporation, or ExxonMobil, that is an
American multinational oil and gas
corporation.
Causes
The National Transportation Safety Board
investigated the Exxon Valdez oil spill and
determined probable causes of the accident:
The master failed to provide a proper navigation
watch; the third mate failed to maneuver the
vessel also failed; also failed to supervise the
master and provide help to the Exxon Valdez.
An effective pilot and escort services were
lacking.
Consecuences
This oil spill affects all the ecosystems that were
involved in this disaster. Hundreds of thousands
of birds, fish and animals died right away,
including somewhere between 250,000 and
500,000 seabirds, thousands of sea otters,
hundreds of harbor seals and bald eagles, a
couple of dozen killer whales, and a dozen or
more river otters. In the years since the accident,
scientists have noted higher death rates among
sea otters and some other species affected by
the Exxon Valdez oil spill and stunted growth or
other damage among others.
Today we still can find oil in the coasts affected,
under rocks an ground. Almost 20 years after the
accident, scientists have seen that the effects on
the animals are lasting longer than their expected.
An example is the estimation of some shoreline
Arctic habitats that will need 30 years to recover.
Solution
When this accident occurs United States authorities were
informed of it. Reaching the place was not easy, because it
was in a very remote place; the help had to be transported
in helicopters or boats. For cleaning the areas affected
they needed about 11,000 people, some of them
volunteers, but all designed to help and fix this problem:
the petroleum spot of 41millions of liters. For solving it they
burned oil and also with water they tried to control and stop
the growing of the spot.
Economic Impact
There was a huge economic impact: There was a
huge tourism loss: After the oil spill, the
pleasure in vacations decreased because no
one liked oil spilled sea. There were
Recreational Sports Fishing Losses, too: As
many fish died after the oil spill and the ocean
was dirty, there was no way to do much fishing.
The losses in 1989 were between $0 and $580
million dollars, and in 1990, the rank was
between 3.6 million and 50.5 million dollars.
MEXICO`S GULF
OIL SPILL
Mexico`s Gulf oil spill
About 2 weeks ago, on March 20, 2010, a
petroleum platform, called Deepwater Horizon,
from The British Petroleum Company;
exploded in México’s gulf. 2 days later the
platform sank in the sea and causes a black
spot of petroleum, between 31 and 49 millions
of liters. The spot started in Mexico’s gulf, in
front of Mississippi and Alabama coasts, and
arrived to Louisiana and Florida. When the
platform exploded there where 126 people, 11
are disappear and 3 were affected.
Causes
Allthis caused by an unexpected increase in
oil pressure ejected at the top of the well,
pressure was higher than the one of oil and
gas extracted at the pump.
Solution
The first attempt to seal with steel and cement
the oil well, which caused the spill and the
black spot (with an installation of 100 tons of
weight), failed because of ice crystals formed
clogged the dome of the structure. In this
moments they are trying by other way to fix the
problem, and don’t affect the ecosystem; killing
the animals and vegetation of the area
affected, because there were found death
animals.
The British Petroleum Company is trying to fix
the problem, but there are all ready
demands for it; because they were the
responsible for the platform. In this moment
there are not exact number of the areas and
animals affected, neither of the amount of
petroleum spilled in the ocean; because the
problem isn’t fixed yet.
COMPARISSON
Differences:
The Exxon Valdez spill was of 41 million gallons total. The
Gulf spill could be of 49 million gallons, according to
experts.
The company responsible for Exxon Valdez oil spill was
The Exxon Mobil Corporation, while for the Mexico Gulf
oil spill was The British Petroleum Company.
The Exxon Valdez oil spill happened in Alaska (Prince
William Sound), while the BP accident happened in
México’s gulf.
The México’s gulf spill was in an underwater platform, while
the Exxon Valdez spill occurred in a ship that was
carrying oil.
Differences:
The Exxon Valdez was caused because the master failed
to provide a proper navigation watch; the third mate
failed to maneuver the vessel also failed; also failed to
supervise the master and provide help to the boat. While
the Mexico’s gulf oil spill was caused because an
unexpected increase in oil pressure ejected at the top of
the well, pressure was higher than the one of oil and gas
extracted at the pump.
For solving the Exxon Valdez oil spill they burn the oil and
cleaned the coasts; while for the México’s gulf oil spill
they tried to seal with steel and cement the oil well (with
an installation of 100 tons of weight) .
Similarities:
Both caused oil spills in an ocean.
Both affect the ecosystem and killed animals and
vegetation.
Both caused a black spot.
Both had petroleum.
Both needed of many help to try to fix them.
Both caused loss of many millions of liters of
petroleum.
Both caused loss of millions of dollars, for being
fixed.
Bibliography:
http://environment.about.com/od/environmentalevents/p/exxon_valdez.htm
http://blog.al.com/live/2010/04/gulf_mexico_oil_spill_worst_case.html
http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-3945616
http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-3940316
http://www.eltiempo.com/mundo/euycanada/ARTICULO-WEB-PLANTILLA_N
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill
http://www.eoearth.org/article/exxon_valdez_oil_spill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill
http://elblogverde.com/derrame-de-petroleo-en-golfo-de-mexico/
http://blog.al.com/live/2010/04/gulf_mexico_oil_spill_worst_case.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/30/louisiana-oil-spill-
2010_n_558287.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/29/us/29spill.html
