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 [1] |
Port Phillip Bay, Victoria |
1,300 tonnes |
03 March 1970 |
Oceanic Grandeur [2] |
Torres Strait, Queensland |
1,100 tonnes |
26 May 1974 |
Sygna [3] |
Newcastle, New South Wales |
700 tonnes |
14 July 1975 |
Offshore, Western Australia |
14,800 tonnes |
|
10 September 1979 |
Botany Bay, New South Wales |
95 tonnes |
|
29 October 1981 |
Anro Asia [6] |
Bribie Island, Queensland |
100 tonnes |
22 January 1982 |
Esso Gippsland [7] |
Port Stanvac, South Australia |
unknown |
03 December 1987 |
Nella Dan [8] |
Macquarie Island |
125 tonnes |
06 February 1988 |
Port Walcott, Western Australia |
450 tonnes |
|
20 May 1988 |
Korean Star [10] |
Cape Cuvier, Western Australia |
600 tonnes |
28 July 1988 |
Al Qurain [11] |
Portland, Victoria |
184 tonnes |
21 May 1990 |
Arthur Phillip [12] |
Cape Otway, Victoria |
unknown |
14 February 1991 |
Sanko Harvest [13] |
Esperance, Western Australia |
700 tonnes |
21 July 1991 |
Kirki [14] |
Western Australia |
17,280 tonnes |
30 August 1992 |
Era [15] |
Port Bonython, South Australia |
300 tonnes |
10 July 1995 |
Iron Baron [16] |
Hebe Reef, Tasmania |
325 tonnes |
28 June 1999 |
Mobil Refinery [17] |
Port Stanvac, South Australia |
230 tonnes |
26 July 1999 |
MV Torungen [18] |
Varanus Island, Western Australia |
25 tonnes |
03 August 1999 |
Laura D’Amato [19] |
Sydney, New South Wales |
250 tonnes |
18 December 1999 |
Sylvan Arrow [20] |
Wilson's Promontory, Victoria |
less than 2 tonnes |
02 September 2001 |
Pax Phoenix [21] |
Holbourne Island, Queensland |
less than 1000 litres |
25 December 2002 |
Pacific Quest [22] |
Border Island, Queensland |
greater than 70 km slick |
24 January 2006 |
Global Peace [23] |
Gladstone, Queensland |
25 tonnes |
11 March 2009 |
Pacific Adventurer [24] |
Cape Moreton, Queensland |
270 tonnes |
21 August 2009 |
NW Australian coast |
Approx 4,750 tonnes |
|
03 April 2010 |
Shen Neng 1 [26] |
Great Keppel Island, Queensland |
4 tonnes |
09 January 2012 |
MV Tycoon [27] |
Christmas Island |
102 tonnes |
Links
[1] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/petriana-28-november-1903
[2] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/oceanic-grandeur-3-march-1970
[3] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/sygna-26-may-1974
[4] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/princess-anne-marie-14-july-1975
[5] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/world-encouragement-10-september-1979
[6] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/anro-asia-29-october-1981
[7] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/esso-gippsland-22-january-1982
[8] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/nella-dan-3-december-1987
[9] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/sir-alexander-glen-6-february-1988
[10] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/korean-star-20-may-1988
[11] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/al-qurain-28-july-1988
[12] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/arthur-phillip-21-may-1990
[13] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/sanko-harvest-14-february-1991
[14] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/kirki-21-july-1991
[15] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/era-30-august-1992
[16] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/iron-baron-10-july-1995
[17] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/port-stanvac-28-june-1999
[18] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/mv-torungen-26-july-1999
[19] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/laura-damato-3-august-1999
[20] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/sylvan-arrow-18-december-1999
[21] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/pax-phoenix-2-september-2001
[22] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/pacific-quest-25-december-2002
[23] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/global-peace-24-january-2006
[24] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/pacific-adventurer-11-march-2009
[25] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/montara-well-head-platform-21-august-2009
[26] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/shen-neng-1-3-april-2010
[27] https://www.amsa.gov.au/marine-environment/incidents-and-exercises/mv-tycoon-9-january-2012