The Gulf Oil Spill also referred to as the BP Oil Spill involved the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig on April 20, 2010 killing 11 workers and creating an environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.  Oil flowed for 3 months, soaking marine animals and birds in oil and threatening the viability of the entire Gulf coastline.

 

As of 2012, the incident is still considered to be the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry.