Oil spill
53 cases in 42 countries, 1958–2026. Most cases: United States (9), United Kingdom (7), Venezuela (6), Russia (5), Nigeria (4).
Goumeri W-8 well eruption at the Agadem oil block, Niger (2026)
An eruption of crude and gas began on 25 September 2026 at the CNPC-operated Goumeri W-8 well in the Agadem block, Diffa region. Niger's Ministry of Petroleum called it an environmental incident of exceptional gravity; on 14 October it was continuing at lower intensity and no volume had been published.
Gulfstream oil spill (Tobago)
In February 2024 a barge with no recorded flag or insurer released about 4,652 tonnes of fuel oil off Tobago, and the oil reached Bonaire, 830 km away. The registered owner had not been identified, and the IOPC 1992 Fund paid the claims.
Volgoneft 212/239 spill (Kerch Strait)
Two Volgoneft tankers were involved in an oil spill in the Kerch Strait on 15 December 2024. In August 2025 a Krasnodar court was reported to have awarded RUB 49.46bn against the owner of the Volgoneft 212.
Bengaluru tanker prices jumped in a month; government capped them
In March 2024 the price of a water tanker in Bengaluru rose from 450–600 rupees to 1,200–2,000 rupees within a month, and the government capped tanker prices, Deccan Herald reported. The cited sources do not say how the shortage affected the city's lakes or groundwater.
Princess Empress oil spill (Philippines)
The tanker Princess Empress spilled oil off Mindoro on 28 February 2023. Of PHP 15.06bn claimed, PHP 3.88bn was approved and PHP 2.71bn paid.
UN reaches 75% of funding goal for FSO Safer tanker salvage
Donors and crowdfunding, not the parties to the conflict, paid for the FSO Safer tanker salvage off Yemen. The cited sources do not set out what is at stake for nature.
Repsol La Pampilla spill: regulator fines and a criminal probe follow
Oil from Repsol's La Pampilla refinery reached the coast of Ventanilla, Peru, in 2022, and the regulator measured more than 10,000 barrels. The stake for nature is the coastline, protected areas and fishing grounds; the cited sources record fines and proceedings but no final verdict.
Shell Nigeria pipeline spill ruling (Hague Court of Appeal, 2021)
On 29 January 2021 the Hague Court of Appeal held Shell Nigeria liable for damage from leaks in oil pipelines at Oruma and Goi. The matter was settled in December 2022 for €15 million, without an admission of liability.
Israel tar spill, February 2021: unidentified tanker, IOPC Fund compensation and oiled turtles
Tar washed up along Israel's Mediterranean coast in February 2021. The 1992 IOPC Fund treated it as a spill of unidentified origin and authorised payment of admissible claims; the Michmoret rescue centre received 10 injured sea turtles in two days.
MV Wakashio oil spill (Mauritius)
The MV Wakashio ran aground off Mauritius in 2020. Its owner sought to cap its liability under the LLMC regime; on 23 February 2026 the Supreme Court of Mauritius refused limitation for oil pollution claims.
Kharyaga field pipeline leak into the Kolva River, October 2020, and court finding of RUB 24 million damage
Oil leaked from an inactive pipeline at the Kharyaga field in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug into the Kolva River in October 2020. In January 2022 the Naryan-Mar City Court convicted an employee and fined the person RUB 240,000, finding damage of RUB 24 million.
El Palito refinery spill into Golfo Triste and Morrocoy National Park, 2020
A slick of oil visible on satellite images from 22 July 2020 reached the coast of Falcón state and Morrocoy National Park. Estimates of the volume ranged from about 20,000 to 26,730 barrels; scientists, NGOs and the National Assembly pointed to the El Palito refinery, while the official version cited a cargo ship. No cost, fine or compensation is on record.
Venezuela coastal oil spills: Golfete de Coro (2020) and Lechería (2022)
PDVSA acknowledged a crude leak on the Ulé–Amuay pipeline near the Golfete de Coro in September 2020, and oil slicks closed several beaches at Lechería, Anzoátegui, in December 2022. No volume, cost or compensation is on record for either event.
Unpaid Venezuelan contributions to the IOPC Funds, 2019–2026
A contributor in Venezuela has not paid its levies to the 1992 Fund, which compensates victims of tanker oil spills worldwide, since May 2019. The IOPC Funds recorded £1,053,829 outstanding, plus £228,960 interest, on 1 September 2026; the contributor is not named.
SIU probes Rooiwal plant tender paid before work was finished
The Daily Maverick reported that a tender of about 295 million rand for Tshwane's Rooiwal plant, awarded to a Sodi-linked joint venture, was paid before the work was finished. At stake is safe drinking water in Hammanskraal, where a cholera outbreak occurred and Tshwane pays private tankers 8.5 million rand a month.
Ecopetrol Lizama well blowout (Colombia)
A blowout at Ecopetrol's Lizama 158 well in March 2018 was followed by a regulatory fine. The fine was cut on appeal; a press report puts the number of animals killed at about 2,400.
Sanchi tanker collision and condensate spill, East China Sea, 2018
On 6 January 2018 the Panama-flagged tanker Sanchi, carrying 136,000 tonnes of condensate loaded at Assaluyeh, collided with the Hong Kong-registered bulk carrier CF Crystal in the East China Sea, burned and sank on 14 January; three crew died and 29 were missing. The spokesperson of the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) said in January 2019 that insurers had paid US$50 million of US$256 million in claims.
Niger–Benin crude export pipeline (WAPCO): financing, land compensation and the June 2024 sabotage spill
The WAPCO pipeline carries Niger's crude from the Agadem block to Benin's coast, financed by CNPC's finance arm. Niger's impact study identified forest and wetland impacts, Benin paid land compensation under a 2020 law, and a sabotage in June 2024 left a crude slick over more than 370 metres in Zinder region.
Nairobi water pipes cut and blocked with sand, NMS chairman says
Down To Earth reported in 2018 that about 40 percent of Nairobi's water cartels divert pipes rather than own wells, and that water sold in Kibera costs 300 times the piped price. At stake is water access in Nairobi's poorer neighbourhoods, where in 2020 the NMS chairman said pipes to South C had been cut and blocked.
Dawn reports Karachi tanker trade worth at least 62m rupees a day
Dawn reported that Karachi's tanker trade earned at least 62 million rupees a day, while the water board collected 60 to 70 million rupees a month from official hydrants. The stake is a scarce urban water supply, with hydrants run outside the water board's control.
Refugio / Plains Line 901 oil spill (California)
A Plains All American pipeline released 2,934 barrels of oil in Santa Barbara County, California, in May 2015, 598 of them into the Pacific. Plains reported total costs of $870 million and lost an insurance arbitration in January 2025 over a $230 million class action settlement.
Oil-facility fires and leaks in Libya's conflict: Es Sider, Ras Lanuf, Zawiya
Libya's National Oil Corporation and Reuters reported fires at oil storage tanks at Es Sider and Ras Lanuf in 2014–2018 and gunfire damage, a pipeline leak and drone-attack fires at Zawiya in 2024–2026. A 2026 study of Zawiya refinery sampling reported hydrocarbon concentrations of up to 43 mg/L offshore.
CNPC crude dumping in the Bongor basin: US$1.2 billion fine and US$400 million settlement
Chad suspended the operations of a CNPC unit in 2013 after crude oil was found dumped in pits at Koudalwa, fined it US$1.2 billion in March 2014 and withdrew five exploration permits. A settlement of US$400 million was signed in October 2014; no court ruled on liability.
Lac-Mégantic rail disaster (Quebec)
A runaway train carrying crude oil exploded in the centre of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, in July 2013, killing 47 people. The railway went bankrupt, about 25 parties funded a settlement of roughly C$440–460 million, and Canadian Pacific, which did not contribute, was not found liable by the Quebec courts.
Chevron pleads no contest to six counts over 2012 Richmond refinery fire
A fire at Chevron's Richmond refinery in August 2012 led about 15,000 people to seek hospital treatment. Chevron pleaded no contest in 2013; the cited sources do not describe any environmental damage.
MV Rak Carrier coal and oil spill (Mumbai)
A coal-laden ship went down about 20 nautical miles off Mumbai in August 2011, and oil and tar balls reached beaches as far as Raigad. The ship's Romanian insurer refused to pay for environmental damage; in 2016 India's National Green Tribunal ordered the owners to pay Rs 100 crore.
Lukoil-Komi oil spills in the Usinsk area and the Kolva River, 2011–2023, damage claims and payments
Spills from Lukoil-Komi pipelines in the Usinsk area of the Komi Republic and on the Kolva River led to a RUB 615 million land-damage claim that was annulled on jurisdiction grounds, and to voluntary payments after the May 2021 Kolva spill reported as RUB 374,186,000 for water and RUB 130,069,000 for soil.
BP Deepwater Horizon: the spill, the court cases and the recovery claims
An offshore rig drilling BP's Macondo exploration well exploded in the Gulf of Mexico on 20 April 2010, killing 11 workers; oil flowed for 87 days. BP pleaded guilty in a criminal case that carried $4 billion in payments and signed a $20.8 billion civil settlement paid until 2031; by the end of 2025, $2.44 billion of up to $8.8 billion set aside for natural resources had been spent.
Enbridge Line 6B oil spill, Marshall, Michigan
An oil spill from Enbridge's Line 6B pipeline was recorded at Marshall, Michigan, on 25–26 July 2010. Insurers paid $547 million of a $650 million aggregate limit against a recorded total cost of $1.215 billion, and the company lost an arbitration against one insurer in 2017.
Lake Maracaibo chronic oil leaks
Oil leaks from ageing underwater pipelines and installations have been reported in Lake Maracaibo, Zulia state, for years, with new spills and gas leaks reported in September 2026. A clean-up plan announced in July 2023 came without a stated budget or timeline, and no compensation to fishers is on record.
CIPER: over 23 billion pesos of Chile's drought tanker spending went to two firms
CIPER reported that Chile spent 92 billion pesos on water tankers over seven years, and that more than 23 billion pesos went to companies linked to one businessman. The stake is water supply in a drought-hit region, where tanker contracts were awarded without tender.
Crude-oil pipeline spills into Khuzestan rivers: Karkheh 2009 and Marun 2025
A pipeline rupture in February 2009 contaminated about 90 to more than 100 km of the Karkheh River and cut drinking-water supply to several towns; the Department of Environment said the Oil Ministry would not be fined. In May 2025 a crude line crossing the Marun River ruptured, and the Khuzestan Department of Environment demanded repairs and compensation from the National Iranian South Oil Company.
Niger Delta oil spills and sabotage attribution (Shell, Eni)
In the Niger Delta, the cause of an oil spill is recorded in joint investigations run with the operating companies, and spills classed as sabotage attract no compensation. Critics say this lets companies avoid payment; Shell attributes most spills to sabotage.
Hebei Spirit oil spill
An oil spill from the Hebei Spirit off Taean, South Korea, on 7 December 2007 produced claims of KRW 4,227 billion. The compensation limit under the international conventions was KRW 321.6 billion, and the Korean state paid the remaining claims.
Kerch Strait storm, November 2007: Volgoneft 139 fuel-oil spill and sulphur-ship sinkings
On 11 November 2007 the tanker Volgoneft 139 broke in two in a storm in the Kerch Strait and fuel oil spilled; three sulphur-laden cargo ships sank in the same area. Russian courts awarded RUB 503.2 million in 2012; the IOPC 1992 Fund had paid RUB 337,734,596 by the end of 2018, and the insurer Ingosstrakh had paid one claimant.
Jiyeh power plant oil spill (Lebanon, 2006)
An oil spill in 2006 affected the Lebanese coast near the Jiyeh power plant. The UN General Assembly has repeatedly asked Israel for compensation; a UN figure puts the damage at USD 856.4 million as of 2014.
Tasman Spirit oil spill (Pakistan)
An oil spill at Karachi in July 2003 in a country that was not a member of the IOPC Funds. The ship's insurer declined to discuss compensation until the crew was released, after nine months in detention.
Prestige
A tanker sank off Galicia in 2002 and spilled about 63,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil. Spain's Supreme Court assessed the damage at €1.44 billion; the shipowner's insurer and the international fund paid 15.22% of it.
Prestige oil spill compensation cap in Spain and 1992 Fund limits
The 2002 Prestige spill off Galicia, Spain, falls under capped international compensation rules. IOPC Funds reports that the Spanish Supreme Court awarded €1,439.08 million, of which €554.10 million for environmental and moral damages could not be recovered from the 1992 Fund.
Erika oil spill
The Malta-flagged tanker Erika was involved in an oil pollution incident off Brittany, France, on 12 December 1999. In 2012 France's Court of Cassation upheld criminal liability for four parties, including Total SA, and held Total could not rely on the shipowner's liability channelling.
South Sudan oil fields: pollution in Unity and Upper Nile
Studies and a 2017 German government answer to the Bundestag recorded contaminated groundwater near the Thar Jath, Mala and Unity oilfields in South Sudan, while the operator rejected the allegations. A government environmental audit contracted in September 2022 had not been released as of 23 January 2025.
Nissos Amorgos tanker spill, Gulf of Venezuela, 1997, and the US$60 million environmental-damage judgment
The Greek tanker Nissos Amorgos ran aground in the Maracaibo Channel on 28 February 1997 and spilled an estimated 3,600 tonnes of crude oil. Venezuelan courts upheld a US$60 million environmental-damage claim by the State against the master, shipowner and Gard Club, while the 1971 Fund considered the claim inadmissible; payment to the State is not on record.
Plate Princess spill, Puerto Miranda, Lake Maracaibo, 1997, and the fishermen's judgment
The tanker Plate Princess spilled some 3.2 tonnes of crude at the Puerto Miranda terminal on Lake Maracaibo in 1997. Venezuelan courts ordered the 1971 Fund, which was not a defendant, to pay about £57.2 million to two fishermen's unions; the IOPC recorded that no compensation was paid and the Fund was dissolved on 31 December 2014.
Liberian-flagged vessel Sea Empress spills oil at Milford Haven, Wales, in 1996
The Liberian-flagged vessel Sea Empress spilled oil at Milford Haven in February 1996. The cited sources record the compensation figure but not the damage to the coast or wildlife.
Chevron, Texaco and the Lago Agrio judgment: the RICO ruling and the Donziger cases
A court in Ecuador gave judgment against Chevron, usually cited as $9.5 billion. A US federal court found in 2014 that the judgment had been obtained by corrupt means, an international arbitration tribunal ruled for Chevron, and the lawyer who won the judgment, Steven Donziger, was disbarred and sentenced for criminal contempt.
Usinsk pipeline spill (Komi, 1994) and the World Bank and EBRD emergency loans
Repeated failures of the Kharyaga–Usinsk oil pipeline in the Komi Republic in 1994 released oil into bogs, creeks and the Kolva River. The World Bank lent US$99 million and the EBRD US$25 million to the Russian Federation, on-lent to the pipeline operator Komineft; published estimates of the volume spilled differ widely.
Exxon Valdez: the spill, insurance and court cases
An Exxon tanker spilled about 257,000 barrels of crude oil in Alaska in 1989. A jury awarded $5 billion in punitive damages; 19 years later the Supreme Court reduced it to $507.5 million. Exxon's excess insurers refused cover on 33 grounds and paid $780 million after a lawsuit, in addition to $400 million from a P&I club.
Nowruz oil-field spill, 1983–1985
An offshore oil release in Iran's Nowruz field in 1983 was prolonged by wartime attacks, and capping was delayed because the field lay in the Iran–Iraq war zone. NOAA and CEDRE give different start dates and volumes; no cost or compensation figure is on record.
Amoco Cadiz oil spill (France)
The Amoco Cadiz oil spill occurred off Brittany on 16 March 1978. French claimants sued the owner's parent group in a US court; the award recorded was under half of the initial claims.
Torrey Canyon spill and creation of the IOPC Funds
The 1967 Torrey Canyon spill off south-west England led governments, the shipping industry and the oil industry to build a two-tier compensation system for oil spills from tankers. Later spills show where that system's limits fell.
Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine; Wiwa v Shell
Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others were executed in Nigeria in 1995 after a military tribunal, having opposed Shell's operations in Ogoniland. Shell settled the Wiwa case for $15.5 million in 2009 without admitting liability; a Dutch case was dismissed in 2022.
Ogoniland and Bodo spills clean-up (SPDC, HYPREP)
In 2011 the UN Environment Programme assessed oil contamination in Ogoniland, Nigeria, and recommended a clean-up it estimated at 25 to 30 years, with US$1 billion for the first five years. Later reports describe a delayed clean-up, disputes over contractors and the cause of spills, and the 2025 sale of Shell's onshore subsidiary SPDC.
Chevron owns Richmond's 'local news' site, which carries no leak reporting
NPR/Floodlight reported that Chevron owns the Richmond Standard, a 'local news' site. The stake for nature is whether residents get independent reporting on pollution from the company's refinery.