Valdez, Alaska The original town site was dismantled and abandoned. From 1975 to 1977, the Trans-Alaska pipeline was built to carry oil from the Prudhoe Bay oil fields in northern Alaska to a terminal in Valdez, the nearest ice-free port. Oil is loaded onto tanker ships for transport. The construction and operation of the pipeline and terminal boosted the economy of Valdez. The 1989 "Exxon Valdez" oil spill occurred as the oil tanker "Exxon Valdez" was leaving the terminal at Valdez full of oil. The spill occurred at Bligh Reef, about from Valdez. Although the oil did not reach Valdez, it devastated
Rena oil spill then grounded on the beach. An estimated 25 tonnes of fuel oil leaked out of the ship. Rena oil spill The "Rena" oil spill occurred off the coast of Tauranga in New Zealand. The spill was caused by the grounding of on the Astrolabe Reef. The "Rena" was a container ship and cargo vessel owned by the Greek shipping company Costamare Inc., through one of its subsidiary companies, and chartered by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). The spill has been described as New Zealand's worst maritime environmental disaster. On Wednesday, 5 October 2011, at 2:20 AM (Tuesday, 4 October 13:20