The Atlantic Empress tanker spilled 287 thousand metric tons of oil off Tobago in 1979. This was the largest oil tanker disaster by quantity of spilled oil since 1967. By comparison, during the ABT Summer oil tanker spill that occurred in 1991, some 260 thousand metric tons of oil was spilled off of the coast of Angola. At the time of the disaster, the vessel had serviced the maritime oil cargo industry for almost 18 years.
Largest oil tanker disasters worldwide from 1967 to 2023, by quantity of spilled oil
(in 1,000 metric tons)
Ship name (accident year)
Spill size in thousand metric tons
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ITOPF. (January 30, 2024). Largest oil tanker disasters worldwide from 1967 to 2023, by quantity of spilled oil (in 1,000 metric tons) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 01, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/262790/oil-tanker-disasters-by-quantity-of-spilled-oil/
ITOPF. "Largest oil tanker disasters worldwide from 1967 to 2023, by quantity of spilled oil (in 1,000 metric tons)." Chart. January 30, 2024. Statista. Accessed September 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/262790/oil-tanker-disasters-by-quantity-of-spilled-oil/
ITOPF. (2024). Largest oil tanker disasters worldwide from 1967 to 2023, by quantity of spilled oil (in 1,000 metric tons). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: September 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/262790/oil-tanker-disasters-by-quantity-of-spilled-oil/
ITOPF. "Largest Oil Tanker Disasters Worldwide from 1967 to 2023, by Quantity of Spilled Oil (in 1,000 Metric Tons)." Statista, Statista Inc., 30 Jan 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/262790/oil-tanker-disasters-by-quantity-of-spilled-oil/
ITOPF, Largest oil tanker disasters worldwide from 1967 to 2023, by quantity of spilled oil (in 1,000 metric tons) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/262790/oil-tanker-disasters-by-quantity-of-spilled-oil/ (last visited September 01, 2024)
Largest oil tanker disasters worldwide from 1967 to 2023, by quantity of spilled oil (in 1,000 metric tons) [Graph], ITOPF, January 30, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/262790/oil-tanker-disasters-by-quantity-of-spilled-oil/