He follows the cleanup efforts on the oil spill and discusses the smoke plumes that covered kuwait. The gulf oil spill disintegrated this island national geographic duration. On thursday bp began using the chemical compounds to dissolve the crude oil, both on the surface and deep below, deploying an. May 25, 2011 the biggest spill in history happened in 1991 during the persian gulf war, when iraqi forces opened valves at a terminal and dumped about 336 million gallons of oil. Jun 04, 2010 1991 oil spill in persian gulf was biggest in history 30,000 birds were killed and fish populations suffered the gulf appears to have made a remarkable recovery, although oil has sunk into sediment. Gulf war oil spill was one of the largest oil spills in history, resulting from the gulf war in 1991 causes of gulf war oil spill. On the impacts of the 1991 gulf war on the environment of. The followup studies have showed a rather different picture than what had been forecasted. These are animals that relied on the persian gulf for sustenance either directly or even indirectly.
The kuwait war oil spill this is the worlds largest manmade oil spill and the only one in recent times resulting from the deliberate actions of the people who caused it. Kuwait battles oil spill in persian gulf waters daily news. May 26, 2010 the damaged deepwater horizon oil well in the gulf of mexico is a huge environmental disaster thats said to be gushing anywhere from 5,000 to 100,000 barrels of crude oil into the ocean per day. Date source oil volume location 105 tonnes 1991 gulf war 15. May 05, 2010 the oil spill at a bp drilling site in the gulf of mexico has morphed over two weeks from a horrific but localized accident to a fullscale environmental disaster. Bp oil spill nears record as largest in gulf history huffpost.
Of critical importance for the skill of the oil spill model prediction is the adequate description of the wind and current fields. On 23 january, iraq dumped 400 million gallons of crude oil into the persian gulf, causing the largest offshore oil spill in history at that time. Estimates vary, but the average considers that a minimum of 350 million gallons to a maximum of 560 million gallons of oil were discharged into the persian gulf. After the gulf war was over, a massive cleanup was embarked on.
As huricanes begin to hit the gulf, this southern tragedy may soon take a global turn for the worse. This spill is more than forty times larger than the exxon valdez spill and more than twice as large as the. Gulf residents deserve the full truth about oil cleanup. As the gulf gusher neared the record, hurricane alex whipped oil filled waves onto the gulf coasts oncewhite beaches. Since transoceans deepwater horizon rig started leaking crude in the middle of april, the response team has deployed nearly 200 miles worth of oil corralling flotation devices called containment booms throughout the gulf coast. May 2, 2010 presidential remarks on gulf oil spill. The persian gulf war oil spill is regarded as the third largest oil spill in history, resulting from the 1990 iraqi invasion of kuwait. Gulf war oil spill of 1991 horses and other creatures. It also made commandeering oil reserves very difficult for us forces. In 1991, iraqi troops fleeing kuwait opened the valves on the sea island oil rig in the persian gulf.
The effects of the 1991 gulf war on the marine and coastal. This chapter highlights the 1991 gulf war oil spill. The release of 11 million barrels of crude oil into the arabian gulf during the 1991 gulf war resulted in the largest oil spill in history. The gulf s ecosystem was not spared during the war. The bp spill could set the record for cleanup cost. As oil continues to pour into the gulf of mexico following the deepwater horizon oil rig explosion, comfort may come from an unusual direction. Air force chemicaldispersing c aircraft drops an oil dispersing chemical into the gulf of mexico as part of the deepwater horizon response effort, may 5. In, 1987, the ship was hit by a missile in the persian gulf during the iraniraq war, causing the ship to explode, and then catch fire, and broke in two. Forty long days, and the saga of the gulf oil spill continues unabated.
The oil from the 2010 deepwater horizon spill in the gulf of mexico was documented by shoreline assessment teams as stranding on 1,773 km of shoreline. Iraqi forces purposefully opened valves at the sea island oil terminal and dumped oil from several tankers into the persian gulf in a strategic wartime move against u. As iraqi troops withdrew from kuwait at the end of the first gulf war, they set fire to over 650 oil wells and damaged many more, just south of the iraq border yellow line. They did it, allegedly, as a military tactic to block enemy ships from docking. This chapter summarizes the development of 22 locations within the jubail marine wildlife sanctuary saudi arabia until 2007. A fireproof boom corrals leaked oil into smaller, more dense pockets that can be ignited remotely from the air and burned off. During the 1991 gulf war, tankers and oil terminals in kuwait were destroyed, causing the release of an estimated 68 million barrels 252 336 million gallons of oil into the waters of the arabian persian gulf. Early reports from iraqi forces claimed that the spill had been caused by the united states sinking of two oil tankers. By either estimate, the disaster would eclipse the ixtoc disaster in the gulf two decades ago and rank as the biggest offshore oil spill during peacetime. Iraqi forces opened the valves at sea island oil terminal and dumped oil from tankers into the ocean.
The point of this was to foil the us marines plan to land. President obama spoke at a coast guard station about federal responses to an oil spill in the gulf of mexico that threatened. The spill began after an april 20 explosion on the deepwater horizon oil exploration rig ruptured the pipe that led from the wellhead up to the platform. In the case of the gulf war oil spill of 1991, it caused the loss of millions of gallons of oil that could have been used for a longtime or raised a lot of money for the country. And the oil is expected to gush until at least august, leaving both bp and the government powerless in the face of this tragedy. Fighting the gulf oil spill, aramco world, mayjune 1991, at 35. The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land. May 25, 2011 that happened when iraqi forces opened valves at a terminal and dumped about 460 million gallons of oil in 1991 during the persian gulf war.
Oil spill model systems are used by industry and government to assist in planning and emergency decision making. The persian gulf war of 1991 brought serious environmental damage to the region. The arabian gulf environment and the consequences of the 1991 oil spill article pdf available in cfs courier forschungsinstitut senckenberg 166. In a final chapter hawley examines the health crisis in iraq after the war.
The environmental consequences of the gulf war in 1991 affected the air, the marine environment, and the terrestrial ecosystem. Oil spill threatens persian gulf wildlife upi archives. On a kuwaiti island, relics of the gulf war daily 360 vr duration. O 1993 pergamon press ltd on the impacts of the 1991 gulf war on the environment of the region. Apr 10, 2011 although the area surrounding gulf war oil spill was finally cleared of strife relating to the war, the cleanup response remained slowgoing. Jan 27, 2015 on a kuwaiti island, relics of the gulf war daily 360 vr duration. The oil spill, which began on january 23, 1991, caused considerable damage to wildlife in the persian gulf especially in areas surrounding kuwait and iraq. October 17, 2011 anadarko was a minority partner in the project to drill for oil at the deepwater horizon site. As the largest spill in history, international press heralded this event as the worlds worst ecological disaster. At the end of january 1991, reports of a huge oil spill in the persian gulf began to surface. Maximum oil was transported to the south along the shoreline, where bulk of floating oil got trapped behind abu ali island, and north of jubail, saudi.
Gulf residents deserve the full truth about oil cleanup chemicals by rocky kistner nasa 382199 via getty images a u. Shoreline bioremediation after the 1991 gulf war oil spill. For treatment of the impacts of ocean pollution, see generally k. Shoreline cleanup activities were authorized on 660 km, or 73. This paper will examine the ethical dilemmas posed by the gulf war oil spills. Comparative size of earlier notable oil spills and the gulf war oil spill.
The biggest spill in history happened in 1991 during the persian gulf war, when iraqi forces opened valves at a terminal and dumped about 336 million gallons of oil. New oil cleanup technologies face crucial test in gulf. The total in the gulf disaster is significant because bp is likely to be fined per gallon spilled. May 04, 2010 gulf spill cleanup chemicals may cause new environmental concerns. There is a worldwide oil spill modelling wosm program. An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. It was later revealed that in a desperate military move, iraqi forces had opened oil. Gulf spill cleanup chemicals may cause new environmental concerns. Mt havenamoco milford haven information on oil spill. The persian gulf war 1990 to 1991 ep2 of 2 part 2 of 3 duration. The immediate reports from baghdad said that american air strikes had caused a discharge of oil from two tankers. See the article in its original context from february 21, 1991, section a, page 12 buy reprints. The effects of oil spills on ecosystem at the persian gulf.
A manmade disaster starting in january of 1991, large quantities of oil began to spill into the persian gulf. In june 1991, after the gulf war oil spill of februarymarch 1991, a longterm study was initiated to observe the shoreline remediation. Pdf the arabian gulf environment and the consequences of. It was reported as a deliberate natural resources attack to keep u. These landsat images show before, during and after the release of 1. It also made commandeering oil reserves dangerous for us and coalition forces as visibility and movement were inhibited. The gulf war oil spill took place january 1991, in the persian gulf during the gulf war. Oct 07, 2010 hungary toxic sludge reaches danube river. Oil continued to be released into the arabian gulf from january 1991 to may 1992 sadiq and mccain 1993. The gulf oil spill cleanup flounders in bureaucracy. The worlds largest oil spill, estimated at as much as 8 million barrels, fouled gulf waters and the coastal areas of kuwait, iran, and much of saudi arabias persian gulf shoreline. Various scenarios and forecasts had been made before the war about the possible and probable impacts under different conditions. On january 21, 1991, two days after the coalition forces launched an air campaign against iraq for invading kuwait, iraqi forces opened valves at an offshore oil transshipment terminal and offloaded crude oil from moored tankers, creating a huge oil spill in the gulf congressional report, 1992.
The persian gulf is a semiclosed basin which has the worlds largest oil reserves and the largest commuter route for oil tankers. On the impacts of the 1991 gulf war on the environment of the. This is no war for domination or imperial aggrandisement or material gain it is a war. Manual recovery is particularly useful in sensitive shoreline areas where. The gulf war oil spill was one of the largest oil spills in history, resulting from the gulf war in 1991. In 1991, landsat captured the devastating environmental consequences of war.
Saudi arabia the environment and the 1991 persian gulf war. For one thing, this oil spill has become the worst environmental disaster in the us. Maximum oil was transported to the south along the shoreline, where bulk of floating oil got trapped behind abu ali island, and north of jubail, saudi arabia. The persian gulf during the gulf war in iraq and kuwait caused a great deal of environmental damage. Jun 09, 2010 controlled burns have been conducted throughout the gulf oil spill. In any oil spill, looking at the economic issues that are raised, the first parameter that is used is the number of gallons of oils that were spilt to measure the loss that was suffered in monetary terms.
The oil spills that resulted from this 1991 war have created several dilemmas for those concerned with environmental ethics. Gerges oceans and coastal areas programme activity centre ocapac, united nations environment programme, p. The gulf war 2 august 1990 28 february 1991, codenamed operation desert shield 2 august 1990 17 january 1991 for operations leading to the buildup of troops and defense of saudi arabia and operation desert storm 17 january 1991 28 february 1991 in its combat phase, was a war waged by coalition forces from 35 nations led by the united states against iraq in response to iraqs. The gulf war, kuwait oil spill 1991 by mercallis edmund on. How did they clean up the oil spill in the gulf of mexico. In the first days of the gulf war, iraqi military forces opened the valves at the sea island oil terminal in kuwait, releasing vast amounts. The efforts to contain the spill seem doltish in multi levels, more confounded as weeks march. No loss of human life was directly attributable to the oil spill, but thousands upon thousands of fish, birds, animals and plants were destroyed. The oil spill at the end of january 1991, the iraqi army discharged around 6 million barrels of oil into the arabian gulf randolph et al. It also isnt moving as fast as feared, or with as much force. As iraqi forces withdrew from kuwait, they set fire to over 650 oil wells and damaged almost 75 more, which then spewed crude oil across the desert and into the persian gulf.
Starting in january of 1991, large quantities of oil began to spill into the persian gulf. Seven technologies used to clean the gulf oil spill cbs news. The specific count of animals is considered to be only hypothetical, nevertheless, the complete human toll has yet to be ascertained. Oil spilled during the persian gulf war had for weeks been largely contained by favorable winds and a. Peculiarities of the persian gulf and the fact that theres a war going oncould make the sprawling oil slick there a proving ground for new cleanup technologies. Some of the oil was recovered, some was washed ashore, mainly in. Lessons learned from the largest oil spill in history. Soon after, 5,000 barrels of oil per day started spewing into the ocean from three leaks in the pipe. Besides special equipment, oil cleanup often means shoveling as this scene from the 1991 persian gulf spill shows. The apparent strategic goal was to foil a potential landing by us marines.
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