Spills & pollution incidents in the Gulf of Mexico

Oil and chemical spills, groundings and vessel casualties with a pollution threat: NOAA IncidentNews responses since 1957, and spill-response areas broadcast as navigational warnings.

in force
3
last 12 months
50
vs previous 12 (51)
-2%
since 1970
1,564

Coverage note: the NGA archive ends 2024-05 and live collection began 2026-08-17. Warnings issued in between are here only if they were still in force when collection started, so 2024–2026 are under-counted.

In force now · 3

  1. NOAAORR-11211in force2026-08-26
    On August 27, 2026, a 150-barrel crude oil spill from a Texas Petroleum Investment Company flowline at South Pass 24 near Pilottown, Louisiana, is being cleaned up.
  2. NOAAORR-11210in force2026-08-25
    Intermittent oil sheen reported at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Bright Bank on August 25, 2026, source unidentified.
  3. NOAAORR-11207in force2026-08-24
    A gas release on August 24, 2026, near Dauphin Island, Alabama, causes bubbling in Mobile Bay and a sulfur-like odor near a natural gas pipeline.
    Mysterious Gas Release; Dauphin Island, Alabama

Longest in force

  1. NOAAORR-11207in force2026-08-24 · 11 d
    A gas release on August 24, 2026, near Dauphin Island, Alabama, causes bubbling in Mobile Bay and a sulfur-like odor near a natural gas pipeline.
    Mysterious Gas Release; Dauphin Island, Alabama
  2. NOAAORR-11210in force2026-08-25 · 10 d
    Intermittent oil sheen reported at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Bright Bank on August 25, 2026, source unidentified.
  3. NOAAORR-11211in force2026-08-26 · 9 d
    On August 27, 2026, a 150-barrel crude oil spill from a Texas Petroleum Investment Company flowline at South Pass 24 near Pilottown, Louisiana, is being cleaned up.

By year

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By month (all years)

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Other hazards in the Gulf of Mexico

Archive · 1,561 cancelled

  1. NOAAORR-72171997-07-24 → 1997-08-07
    On july 24, 1997, observers on the t/v vanadis, anchored at 2847' n, 94?29' w, reported a sheen
    T/v Vanadis; Galveston, Texas · Galveston, Texas
  2. NOAAORR-72111997-06-21 → 1997-07-05
    Vermillion 16; freshwater city, louisiana
  3. NOAAORR-72101997-06-13 → 1997-06-27
    T/b pvs 103; mississippi river, baton rouge, la
  4. NOAAORR-50911997-05-16 → 1997-05-30
    At 1542 on may 16, 1997, a 16-inch texaco pipeline released crude oil into lake barre, louisiana
    Lake Barre, Pipeline Spill; Houma, Louisiana · Houma, Louisiana
  5. NOAAORR-71941997-04-11 → 1997-04-25
    Brown water marine barge 66; redfish island, texas
  6. NOAAORR-71951997-04-11 → 1997-04-25
    Southwest pass, mississippi river
    Formosa Six; Southwest Pass, Mississippi River
  7. NOAAORR-71911997-03-17 → 1997-03-31
    Tank barge ib 960; baton rouge, louisiana
  8. NOAAORR-71891997-02-12 → 1997-02-26
    At approximately 0240 on february 10, 1997, two fractionating (frac) tanks containing a total of 42,000…
    Drill Mud Spill; Berwick, Louisiana · Berwick, Louisiana
  9. NOAAORR-71831997-01-22 → 1997-02-05
    Mystery Spill15; lake charles, louisiana
  10. NOAAORR-71641996-11-15 → 1996-11-29
    New orleans, la
    C/b Ponce Trader; New Orleans, la
  11. NOAAORR-71591996-11-09 → 1996-11-23
    T/b LMI-150; off tarpon springs, florida
  12. NOAAORR-71501996-08-09 → 1996-08-23
    Sabine river, texas
    Samedon Oil; Sabine River, Texas
  13. NOAAORR-71431996-06-21 → 1996-07-05
    Barge MF12; mississippi river
  14. NOAAORR-71411996-05-26 → 1996-06-09
    Buffalo 286; la porte, texas
  15. NOAAORR-71361996-03-18 → 1996-04-01
    Buffalo 292; galveston, texas
  16. NOAAORR-71171995-12-15 → 1995-12-29
    West cameron block 198; cameron, louisiana
  17. NOAAORR-71111995-10-11 → 1995-10-25
    Barge apex 3512; norco, louisiana
  18. NOAAORR-71091995-10-03 → 1995-10-17
    Upper tampa bay, florida
    Mystery Spill - Tampa Bay; Upper Tampa Bay, Florida
  19. NOAAORR-71021995-07-01 → 1995-07-15
    Southwest pass, louisiana
    M/V Alexia and M/V Enif; Southwest Pass, Louisiana
  20. NOAAORR-71001995-06-16 → 1995-06-30
    The exact date and time of this release is uncertain but uscg and noaa involvement began june 16, 1995
    Ferrous Sulfate Barges; Waveland, Mississippi · Waveland, Mississippi
  21. NOAAORR-70931995-04-20 → 1995-05-04
    Corpus christi, tx
    Ingleside Collision; Corpus Christi, Tx
  22. NOAAORR-70891995-03-13 → 1995-03-27
    Grand chenier, louisiana
    Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge; Grand Chenier, Louisiana
  23. NOAAORR-70871995-02-27 → 1995-03-13
    Galveston lightering area, gulf of mexico
    T/v Florida Express; Galveston Lightering Area, Gulf of Mexico
  24. NOAAORR-70811995-02-05 → 1995-02-19
    On february 5, 1995, the M/V berge banker collided with the M/V skaubay when preparing for lightering…
    Berge Banker; Galveston, Texas · Galveston, Texas
  25. NOAAORR-70731994-12-22 → 1995-01-05
    T/b lbt 62; chalmette, louisiana
  26. NOAAORR-70531994-10-20 → 1994-11-03
    Between october 18 and 20, a strong low-pressure system stalled over the houston area producing more than 30…
    San Jacinto River Spill; Channelview, Texas · Channelview, Texas
  27. NOAAORR-70511994-10-11 → 1994-10-25
    Nueces bay, texas
    Nueces Bay Spill; Nueces Bay, Texas
  28. NOAAORR-70501994-10-08 → 1994-10-22
    Corpus christi, texas
    Gum Hollow Creek; Corpus Christi, Texas
  29. NOAAORR-70261994-07-10 → 1994-07-24
    At approximately 0330 july 8, 1994 a natural gas well 4 miles west of intracoastal city, la lost control and…
    Giww Well Blowout; Louisiana · Louisiana
  30. NOAAORR-70251994-07-01 → 1994-07-15
    Freighter forum chemist; gulf of mexico, 35 miles sse of sw pass, mississippi
  31. NOAAORR-70161994-05-31 → 1994-06-14
    Ethylene dichloride spill; calcasieu river , lake charles, louisiana
  32. NOAAORR-69951994-03-09 → 1994-03-23
    Bush key, dry tortugas national park, florida
    Little Wendy D; Bush Key, Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
  33. NOAAORR-69751993-12-21 → 1994-01-04
    Sw la coast
    Conoco Well Blow-out; Sw la Coast
  34. NOAAORR-69621993-09-02 → 1993-09-16
    M/V red seagull 93; galveston, tx
  35. NOAAORR-51411993-08-10 → 1993-08-24
    Barge bouchard 155; tampa bay, florida
  36. NOAAORR-69401993-04-20 → 1993-05-04
    1; port neches, texas
    Unocal Dock No
  37. NOAAORR-69411993-04-20 → 1993-05-04
    Port arthur, tx
    Unocal Neches River; Port Arthur, Tx
  38. NOAAORR-69371993-04-10 → 1993-04-24
    New orleans, la
    Sunshine Bridge; New Orleans, la
  39. NOAAORR-69161992-12-26 → 1993-01-09
    Mississippi river delta, la
    Arco Blowout; Mississippi River Delta, la
  40. NOAAORR-69071992-10-30 → 1992-11-13
    Mississippi river delta, la
    Pirate Well Platform; Mississippi River Delta, la
  41. NOAAORR-69021992-09-29 → 1992-10-13
    Timbalier bay, la
    Greenhill Petroleum Corporation Well Blowout; Timbalier Bay, la
  42. NOAAORR-69001992-08-31 → 1992-09-14
    Timbalier island, la
    Texaco Pipeline; Timbalier Island, la
  43. NOAAORR-68971992-08-14 → 1992-08-28
    Gulf of mexico
    M/V Heredia; Gulf of Mexico
  44. NOAAORR-68871992-05-15 → 1992-05-29
    Early friday evening, a 240' crude oil barge collided with a barge carrying propylene
    Crude Oil Barge; Icw, Louisiana · Icw, Louisiana
  45. NOAAORR-68881992-05-15 → 1992-05-29
    M/V durdy dudley, and pat salvaggio, collision; morgan city, louisiana
  46. NOAAORR-68791992-03-11 → 1992-03-25
    Tugs walley blessey and lake charles; sabine river, orange county, texas
  47. NOAAORR-68781992-03-11 → 1992-03-25
    Toluene barge; mile 265 on icww, tx
  48. NOAAORR-68761992-03-08 → 1992-03-22
    Gulf of mexico
    Unmanned Pumping Station; Gulf of Mexico
  49. NOAAORR-68741992-02-20 → 1992-03-05
    Pass tante phine, louisiana
    Pass Tante Phine; Pass Tante Phine, Louisiana
  50. NOAAORR-68711992-01-26 → 1992-02-09
    Morgan city, la
    Styrene Spill; Morgan City, la

Sea boundaries: Flanders Marine Institute (2018), IHO Sea Areas v3, marineregions.org (CC BY 4.0). Not for navigation — follow official NAVAREA / coastal broadcasts and your national MSI service.