Deepwater Horizon oil spill 17 of whom were treated for injuries. The Deepwater Horizon sank on the morning of 22 April 2010. The oil leak was discovered on the afternoon of 22 April 2010 when a large oil slick began to spread at the former rig site. The oil flowed for 87 days. BP originally estimated a flow rate of . The Flow Rate Technical Group (FRTG) estimated the initial flow rate was . The total estimated volume of leaked oil approximated with plus or minus 10% uncertainty, including oil that was collected, making it the world's largest accidental spill. BP challenged the higher
Oil spill governance in the United States Oil spill governance in the United States Oil spill governance in the United States is governed by federal law. The governance framework for oil spills in the United States prior to the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) of 1990 lacked proper consolidation and proved to be inadequate in preventing and responding to oil spillages. A timeline produced by the World Resources Institute (WRI) highlights some key events in oil drilling governance and regulatory system that ultimately govern oil spills in the United States. Although the OPA provides a framework for oil spillage governance recent events resulting in the BP deep water