I is for Ixtoc 1, sinking in the deep

Oil Spill (drilling rig), Gulf of Mexico, since 1979

Ixtoc I was an oil well being drilled by the Sedco 135F drilling rig. The well suffered a blowout resulting in one of largest oil spills in history. Next to the oil spill, the usage of dispersant to contain the oil caused heavy damage to the ecosystem. It took almost ten months for the well to be closed and took years for aquatic species to recover. Oil can still be found througout the gulf.