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Major historical incidents

A summary list of major historical oil spill incidents.

This summary includes the major oil spills in or near Australian waters, and several smaller offshore spills that resulted in significant legal action.

Date

Vessel

Location

Oil amount

28 November 1903

Petriana

Port Phillip Bay, Victoria

1,300 tonnes

03 March 1970

Oceanic Grandeur

Torres Strait, Queensland

1,100 tonnes

26 May 1974

Sygna

Newcastle, New South Wales

700 tonnes

14 July 1975

Princess Anne Marie

Offshore, Western Australia

14,800 tonnes

10 September 1979

World Encouragement

Botany Bay, New South Wales

95 tonnes

29 October 1981

Anro Asia

Bribie Island, Queensland

100 tonnes

22 January 1982

Esso Gippsland

Port Stanvac, South Australia

unknown

03 December 1987

Nella Dan

Macquarie Island

125 tonnes

06 February 1988

Sir Alexander Glen

Port Walcott, Western Australia

450 tonnes

20 May 1988

Korean Star

Cape Cuvier, Western Australia

600 tonnes

28 July 1988

Al Qurain

Portland, Victoria

184 tonnes

21 May 1990

Arthur Phillip

Cape Otway, Victoria

unknown

14 February 1991

Sanko Harvest

Esperance, Western Australia

700 tonnes

21 July 1991

Kirki

Western Australia

17,280 tonnes

30 August 1992

Era

Port Bonython, South Australia

300 tonnes

10 July 1995

Iron Baron

Hebe Reef, Tasmania

325 tonnes

28 June 1999

Mobil Refinery

Port Stanvac, South Australia

230 tonnes

26 July 1999

MV Torungen

Varanus Island, Western Australia

25 tonnes

03 August 1999  

Laura D’Amato

Sydney, New South Wales

250 tonnes

18 December 1999

Sylvan Arrow

Wilson's Promontory, Victoria

less than 2 tonnes

02 September 2001

Pax Phoenix

Holbourne Island, Queensland

less than 1000 litres

25 December 2002

Pacific Quest

Border Island, Queensland

greater than 70 km slick

24 January 2006

Global Peace

Gladstone, Queensland

25 tonnes

11 March 2009

Pacific Adventurer

Cape Moreton, Queensland

270 tonnes

21 August 2009

Montara Wellhead oil platform

NW Australian coast

Approx 4,750 tonnes

03 April 2010

Shen Neng 1

Great Keppel Island, Queensland

4 tonnes

09 January 2012

MV Tycoon

Christmas Island

102 tonnes

Last updated: 

Monday 9 November 2020