Spills and Seeps
Petroleum can spill during many stages of its production, transportation, and consumption.
Petroleum can leak from wells on land or in the sea.
Pipelines can break, causing petroleum to spill during transportation. Oil tankers may collide or sink, releasing huge loads of crude oil into the water. Accidents or disasters can cause toxic petroleum products to spill from power plants, refineries, and even gasoline stations.
Some petroleum also seeps naturally from openings in the sea floor. Spills and seeps release about 15 million barrels of crude oil into the environment each year. This makes up only about (1/5) of the oil consumed in one day. About 10 percent of this oil seeps naturally from the ocean floor.
Petroleum companies spill about 28 percent of this oil during production and transportation. The remaining 62 percent is released in spills during industrial and private consumption. Although only a small fraction of petroleum produced is spilled, petroleum spills are a major environmental problem.
Most of the chemicals in petroleum are toxic to living things. Petroleum spills can poison plants, animals, and even people.
They can also be difficult and expensive to clean up. Large petroleum spills, such as those caused by accidents involving giant oil tankers, often provoke public anger at oil companies. Such an angry outcry occurred in 1989, when the tanker Exxon Valdez struck a reef off southeastern Alaska, spilling nearly 11 million gallons (42 million liters) of crude oil.
Petroleum can spill during many stages of its production, transportation, and consumption.
Petroleum can leak from wells on land or in the sea.
Pipelines can break, causing petroleum to spill during transportation. Oil tankers may collide or sink, releasing huge loads of crude oil into the water. Accidents or disasters can cause toxic petroleum products to spill from power plants, refineries, and even gasoline stations.
Some petroleum also seeps naturally from openings in the sea floor. Spills and seeps release about 15 million barrels of crude oil into the environment each year. This makes up only about (1/5) of the oil consumed in one day. About 10 percent of this oil seeps naturally from the ocean floor.
Petroleum companies spill about 28 percent of this oil during production and transportation. The remaining 62 percent is released in spills during industrial and private consumption. Although only a small fraction of petroleum produced is spilled, petroleum spills are a major environmental problem.
Most of the chemicals in petroleum are toxic to living things. Petroleum spills can poison plants, animals, and even people.
They can also be difficult and expensive to clean up. Large petroleum spills, such as those caused by accidents involving giant oil tankers, often provoke public anger at oil companies. Such an angry outcry occurred in 1989, when the tanker Exxon Valdez struck a reef off southeastern Alaska, spilling nearly 11 million gallons (42 million liters) of crude oil.
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