In January 2013 Transocean agreed to a $1 billion civil penalty under the Clean Water Act. Approximately $800 million of that amount was earmarked for restoration projects in the gulf, and the remainder was paid to the federal government.

BP PLC was charged with 11 counts of felony manslaughter, one count of felony obstruction of Congress, a violation of 18 U.S.C. 1505 and violations of the Clean Water {33 U.S.C. 1319(c)(1)(A) and Migratory Bird Treaty Acts {16 U.S.C.

A decade after the BP oil spill: Sick fish, Gulf pollution, and human health problems. The BP oil continues polluting the gulf even today, according to recently released findings by scientists from the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Sciences. It’s still affecting fish and other marine species.

BP has agreed to plead guilty to 14 criminal counts, including manslaughter, and will pay $4 billion over five years in a settlement with the Justice Department over the April 20, 2010, drilling disaster in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 people and unleashed the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history, officials …

Former BP Vice President David Rainey was acquitted by a jury last June of charges he lied to federal agents about how much oil was spilled. The fourth defendant, engineer Kurt Mix, was sentenced to six months of probation last November after pleading guilty to damaging a computer, a misdemeanor.

On April 20, 2010, a BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, causing what has been called the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history and taking the lives of 11 rig workers. For 87 straight days, oil and methane gas spewed from an uncapped wellhead, 1 mile below the surface of the ocean.

After a dreadful start, BP and its drilling partners removed most of the oil from Gulf coast beaches over the next several years; the visible sheen of the oil slick eventually disappeared as well. But studies indicate that it will take parts of the Gulf, such as deep ocean ecosystems, decades to recover.

An estimated 4,900–7,600 large juvenile and adult sea turtles and between 56,000–166,000 small juvenile sea turtles were killed by the spill. Furthermore, an estimated 35,000 hatchlings were lost due to the effects of the spill and associated clean-up activities on sea turtle nesting beaches.

Revealed: Documents Show BP Quietly Paid Just $25 Million to Mexico After The Worst Oil Spill Of The Century. After the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in 2010, BP paid out more than $60 billion in the US. More than eight years later, Mexico quietly settled with the oil giant for $25 million.

One oil well off the southeastern coast of Louisiana, owned by Taylor Energy, has been leaking since 2004, spilling between 300 and 700 barrels per day. The well’s reserves could keep it leaking for the next 100 years if it isn’t capped, meaning it will one day eclipse the Deepwater Horizon spill in terms of volume.

In early 2013, a brand new $40 million oil platform sank within few seconds during installation in the Persian Gulf. Though unfortunately no one was able to disembark before the oil rig sinks, according to the reports, all the workers were rescued and taken ashore safely.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

3 Surprising Sources of Oil Pollution in the Ocean

• Natural Seeps. Natural seeps of oil underneath the Earth’s surface account for 60 percent of the estimated total load in North American waters and 40 percent worldwide, according to the National Academy of Sciences.
• Cars and Other Land Vehicles.
• Recreational Boats.

Very heavy oil can sometimes sink in freshwater, but this happens very rarely. Oil usually spreads out rapidly across the water surface to form a thin layer that we call an oil slick. Depending on just where and when a spill happens, from a few up to hundreds or thousands of birds and mammals can be killed or injured.

Studies of biomarkers have uncovered irreparable harm to humans exposed to oil and gas from spills. These effects can be grouped into respiratory damage, liver damage, decreased immunity, increased cancer risk, reproductive damage and higher levels of some toxics (hydrocarbons and heavy metals).

Oil spills that happen in rivers, bays and the ocean most often are caused by accidents involving tankers, barges, pipelines, refineries, drilling rigs and storage facilities, but also occur from recreational boats and in marinas. Spills can be caused by: people making mistakes or being careless. equipment breaking …

Here’s how it breaks down. In a 10-minute span after spilling into the sea, 300 gallons of oil can spread to a radius of 160 feet and create a slick a fourth of an inch deep.

Q: Where do most oil spills happen in the world?

• Gulf of Mexico (267 spills)
• Northeastern U.S. (140 spills)
• Mediterranean Sea (127 spills)
• Persian Gulf (108 spills)
• North Sea (75 spills)
• Japan (60 spills)
• Baltic Sea (52 spills)
• United Kingdom and English Channel (49 spills)

And while long-term damage estimates vary, a new study published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences determined that over seven years, the oil spill could have a $8.7 billion impact on the economy of the Gulf of Mexico including losses in revenue, profit, wages, and close to 22,000 jobs.

SOURCES. Oil has positively and negatively impacted the social, political, and economic aspects of the Middle East. It has increased the wealth of the economy but also led to foreign debt. It kept Saudi Arabia out of the Arab Spring, but has led to political corruption in some countries.

A similar study found that citizens on the Gulf Coast had increased levels of anxiety, depression, and respiratory issues that lasted for several years after the catastrophe. Other coastal residents had similar symptoms including skin rashes, muscle cramps, pneumonia, migraines, and much more.

Oil spills can damage the environment and the wildlife and marine life that depend on it. They can also cause physical, mental, and financial stress to people as individuals. But even at a larger social level, like a community, oil spills can threaten the order of things.

Oil price increases are generally thought to increase inflation and reduce economic growth. In terms of inflation, oil prices directly affect the prices of goods made with petroleum products. Increases in oil prices can depress the supply of other goods because they increase the costs of producing them.

Oil spills can cause serious damage to fisheries and mariculture resources. Physical contamination can affect stocks and disrupt business activities by fouling gear or impeding access to fishing sites.

Oil has today more advantages than disadvantages due to its availability, accessibility and low price.

• Is an Inexpensive Source of Energy Due to Large Reserves and Good Accessibility.
• Is a Fossil Fuel with High Energy Density.
• Is a Versatile Source of Energy.
• Oil-fired Power Stations are Efficient.