342:. Impacts of oil on the barrier island beaches were ranked as second in importance to protecting inlets to the bays and lagoons. This was done with the placement of skimmers and booms. Efforts were concentrated on the Brazos-Santiago Pass, Port Mansfield Channel, Aransas Pass, and Cedar Bayou which during the spill was sealed with sand. Economically and environmentally sensitive barrier island beaches were cleaned daily. Laborers used rakes and shovels to clean beaches rather than heavier equipment which removed too much sand. Ultimately, 71,500 barrels (11,000 m) of oil impacted 162 miles (260 km) of U.S. beaches, and over 10,000 cubic yards (8,000 m) of oiled material were removed.
327:
and early in August the pumping of nearly 100,000 steel, iron, and lead balls into the well reduced the flow to 10,000 barrels (2,000 m) per day. Pemex claimed that half of the released oil burned when it reached the surface, a third of it evaporated, and the rest was contained or dispersed. Mexican authorities also drilled two relief wells into the main well to lower the pressure of the blowout, however, the oil continued to flow for three months following the completion of the first relief well. In total, around 138,600,000 US gallons (3,300,000 barrels) were spilled throughout the roughly 10 months it took for the oil to stop leaking.
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There is much less information on the impact of the Ixtoc 1 spill on benthic species (bottom dwellers). The best studies were on the Texas coast over 1000 km from the spill. Massive kills can occur when oil reaches the benthos in sufficient quantity. The only indication of a massive kill may be
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Fishing was banned or restricted by
Mexican authorities in contaminated areas north and south of the well. Fish and octopus catches dropped by 50 to 70% from the 1978 levels. Other species that had longer life spans took longer to recover, and it took until the late 1980s for the population of Kemp's
483:
The oil washed ashore, 30 cm (1 ft.) deep in some places, as it was pushed north by prevailing winds and currents until it crossed the Texas border two months later and eventually coated almost 170 miles (270 km) of US beaches. The beach that caused most international concern in Mexico
326:
In the initial stages of the spill, an estimated 30,000 barrels (5,000 m) of oil per day were flowing from the well. One barrel of oil is equivalent to 159 liters (or 42 gallons) of liquid. In July 1979, the pumping of mud into the well reduced the flow to 20,000 barrels (3,000 m) per day,
334:
9527 on the oil. A total of 493 aerial missions were flown, treating 1,100 square miles (2,800 km) of oil slick. Dispersants were not used in the U.S. area of the spill because of the dispersant's inability to treat weathered oil. Eventually the on-scene coordinator (OSC) requested that Mexico
251:
and back up the wellbore to the surface. The goal is to equalize the pressure through the shaft and to monitor the returning mud for gas. Without the counter-pressure provided by the circulating mud, the pressure in the formation allowed oil to fill the well column, blowing out the well. The oil
507:
Despite a massive intrusion of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants from the Ixtoc 1 event into the study region of the South Texas Outer
Continental Shelf during 1979-1980, no definitive damage can be associated with this or other known spillage events (e.g., Burmah Agate) on either the epibenthic
466:
The oil on
Mexican beaches in early September was calculated to be about 6000 metric tons. Based on reports from various groups and individuals, five times that figure is thought to represent a fair estimate of what had landed on Mexican beaches. Investigations along the Texas coast show that
295:(BOP). These rams are designed to sever and seal off the well on the ocean floor; however, in this case, the drill collars had been brought in line with the BOP and the BOP rams were not able to sever the thick steel walls of the drill collars leading to a catastrophic blowout.
462:
The oil that was lost during the blow-out polluted a considerable part of the offshore region in the Gulf of Mexico as well as much of the coastal zone, which consists primarily of sandy beaches and barrier islands often enclosing extensive shallow lagoons.
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that had formed in the rock at the bottom of the hole. Pemex officials decided to remove the bit, run the drill pipe back into the hole and pump materials down this open-ended drill pipe to seal off the fractures that were causing the loss of circulation.
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were brought in to contain and cap the oil well. An average of approximately 10,000 to 30,000 barrels (2,000 to 5,000 m) per day were discharged into the Gulf until it was finally capped on 23 March 1980, nearly 10 months later. In similarity to the
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A study concluded that the most persistent problems were the coastal lagoons lining the bay, as well as the pollution of estuaries. Specifically, they had problematic effects on the breeding and growth of several different species of food fish species.
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Prevailing currents carried the oil towards the Texas coastline. The US government had two months to prepare booms to protect major inlets. Pemex spent $ 100 million to clean up the spill and avoided most compensation claims by asserting
287:, the dancing mud suddenly began to flow up towards the surface; by removing the drillstring the well was swabbed (an effect observed when mud must flow down the annulus to replace displaced drill pipe volume below the bit) leading to a
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The drilling mud was followed by a large quantity of oil and gas at a flow rate that was still increasing. The oil and gas fumes exploded on contact with the operating pump motors, starting a fire which led to the collapse of the
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31 years later, the list of methods attempted to remediate the leak included lowering a cap over the well, plugging the leak with mud and "junk", use of dispersants, and spending months attempting to drill relief wells.
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commercial shrimp population (based on chemical evidence) or the benthic infaunal community. Such conclusions have no bearing on intertidal or littoral communities, which were not the subject of this study.
488:, a key nesting ground for critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles which had already moved inland in their hundreds to lay eggs. By the time the eggs hatched, the oil had reached the shore.
476:, was almost eliminated over a wide area. The crab populations on coral islands along the coast were also reduced to only a few percents of the normal populations about nine months after the spill.
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approximately 4000 metric tons of oil or less than 1 percent was deposited there. The rest of the oil, about 120,000 metric tons or 25 percent, sank to the bottom of the Gulf.
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riser. The collapse caused damage to the BOP stack at the seafloor. The damage to the BOP led to the release of significant quantities of oil into the Gulf.
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The oil had a severe impact on the littoral crab and mollusk fauna of the beaches which were contaminated. The populations of crabs, e.g. the ghost crab
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ridley turtles to begin to recover. Ridley turtles only produce a few hundred eggs each year, in contrast with the millions of eggs that shrimp lay.
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998:"Ixtoc Oil Spill Assessment, Final Report, Executive Summary Prepared for the US Bureau of Land Management, Contract No. AA851-CTO-71"
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oil spilled ... first Iraq War, 1991. ... Although not a single offshore spill, it saw massive oil leaks that easily dwarf Ixtoc 1
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267:. The day before Ixtoc suffered the blowout and resulting fire that caused her to sink, the drill bit hit a region of soft
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391:. Thousands of baby sea turtles were airlifted to a clean portion of the Gulf of Mexico to help save the rare species.
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Jernelöv, Arne; Lindén, Olof (1981). "The
Caribbean: Ixtoc I: A Case Study of the World's Largest Oil Spill".
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In Texas, an emphasis was placed on coastal countermeasures protecting the bays and lagoons formed by the
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Teal, John M.; Howarth, Robert W. (January 1984). "Oil spill studies: A review of ecological effects".
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the remains of the dead organisms, but if they lack hard parts there will be little evidence.
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in history at its time. To-date, it remains the second largest oil spill in history after the
804:. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Department of Commerce. Archived from
731:. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Department of Commerce. Archived from
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Emergency
Response Division Office of Response and Restoration, National Ocean Service.
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Response Division Office of Response and Restoration, National Ocean Service.
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from the 1970s regarding the Ixtoc spill and comparisons with the BP spill of 2010
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1003:. US Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service Mission. p. 27
271:. Subsequently, the circulation of drilling mud was lost resulting in a loss of
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291:. Normally, this flow can be stopped by activating shear rams contained in the
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Catastrophic
Thinking: How to Ensure Oil Spill Disasters Do Not Happen Again
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in waters 50 m (164 ft) deep. On 3 June 1979, the well suffered a
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275:. Rather than returning to the surface, the drilling mud was escaping into
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was drilling at a depth of about 3,600 metres (11,800 ft) below the
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896:(6). Allen Press for the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences: 299–306.
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Pemex contracted Conair
Aviation to spray the chemical dispersant
229:(Petróleos Mexicanos) was drilling a 3 km (1.9 mi) deep
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3 million barrels (130,000,000 U.S. gallons; 480,000 cubic meters)
534:
331:
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136:
673:
Linda Garmon (25 October 1980). "Autopsy of an Oil Spill".
917:"Ixtoc Disaster Holds Clues to Evolution of an Oil Spill"
960:
866:"BP's Gulf battle echoes monster '79 Mexico oil spill"
756:"BP's Gulf battle echoes monster '79 Mexico oil spill"
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concluded concerning the spill's effect on US waters:
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In the next nine months, experts and divers including
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In modern rotary drilling, mud is circulated down the
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176:was an exploratory oil well being drilled by the
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996:ERCO/Energy Resources Co. Inc. (19 March 1982).
915:Berger, Matthew O.; Godoy, Emilio (2010-06-27).
1029:National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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677:. Vol. 118, no. 17. pp. 267–270.
647:
376:The oil slick surrounded Rancho Nuevo, in the
194:, about 100 km (62 mi) northwest of
772:
650:"How big is the Deepwater Horizon oil spill?"
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775:"Mexicans still haunted by 1979 Ixtoc spill"
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384:, which is one of the few nesting sites for
940:"After big 1979 spill, a stunning recovery"
883:
881:
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847:The lost legacy of the last great oil spill
1071:Industrial fires and explosions in Mexico
689:"Ixtoc 1 Oil Spill Economic Impact Study"
450:Learn how and when to remove this message
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668:
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426:Relevant discussion may be found on the
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27:Oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico
798:"Ixtoc I: Countermeasures / Mitigation"
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612:
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335:stop using dispersants north of 25°N.
256:was extensively burned then scuttled.
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594:"Gulf Oil Spill Not the Biggest Ever"
159:2,800 km (1,100 sq mi)
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283:During the removal of the pipe on
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617:John Charles Milne (2 Nov 2008).
225:Mexico's state-owned oil company
1076:Oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico
754:Robert Campbell (May 24, 2010).
592:Marshall, Jessica (2010-06-01).
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921:Inter Press Service News Agency
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432:check for citation inaccuracies
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554:Notable offshore well blowouts
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648:Elena Egawhary (7 May 2010).
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499:A report prepared for the US
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259:At the time of the accident,
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938:Glenn Garvin (2010-06-27).
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357:Deepwater Horizon oil spill
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113:3 June 1979 – 23 March 1980
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310:Volume and extent of spill
1061:1979 industrial disasters
696:Bureau of Land Management
501:Bureau of Land Management
167:261 km (162 mi)
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963:Environmental Management
373:as a state-run company.
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143:Spill characteristics
1056:Oil fields in Mexico
1051:Oil spills in Mexico
273:hydrostatic pressure
94:19.408333°N 92.325°W
975:1984EnMan...8...27T
852:Scientific American
833:Scientific American
773:Julian Miglierini.
629:on 20 December 2008
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983:10.1007/BF01867871
619:"Sedco 135 Series"
549:List of oil spills
371:sovereign immunity
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164:Shoreline impacted
99:19.408333; -92.325
944:The News Observer
560:Deepwater Horizon
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395:Long-term effects
293:blowout preventer
252:caught fire, and
213:Deepwater Horizon
208:largest oil spill
206:resulting in the
196:Ciudad del Carmen
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1005:. Retrieved
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574:Piper Alpha
389:sea turtles
346:Containment
97: /
73:Coordinates
1045:Categories
1027:by the US
777:. BBC News
702:2010-05-06
600:2010-06-14
580:References
382:Tamaulipas
85:92°19′30″W
82:19°24′30″N
725:"Ixtoc I"
562:oil spill
440:July 2010
430:. Please
428:talk page
416:citations
364:Aftermath
352:Red Adair
301:Sedco 135
285:Sedco 135
277:fractures
261:Sedco 135
254:Sedco 135
249:drillpipe
238:Sedco 135
233:when the
215:oil spill
184:Sedco 135
781:April 1,
654:BBC News
513:See also
422:the text
265:seafloor
231:oil well
221:Accident
200:Campeche
133:Operator
63:Campeche
51:Location
1007:14 July
971:Bibcode
902:4312725
870:Reuters
760:Reuters
623:OilCity
332:Corexit
204:blowout
190:of the
186:in the
174:Ixtoc 1
33:Ixtoc 1
18:Ixtoc 1
1001:(.PDF)
900:
812:30 May
739:30 May
633:20 May
420:verify
318:Spill
269:strata
148:Volume
67:Mexico
898:JSTOR
890:Ambio
692:(PDF)
240:lost
227:Pemex
137:Pemex
123:Cause
118:Cause
1009:2010
814:2010
783:2020
741:2010
635:2010
484:was
289:kick
156:Area
110:Date
979:doi
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830:",
380:of
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