"Satellite imagery shows the worst sites worldwide for oil slicks and methane emissions. Report authors expect pollution will only increase as the Trump administration opens more waters to drilling."

"April 20 marked 15 years since BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, releasing 134 million gallons of oil off the coast of Louisiana in the country’s largest oil spill.

Oil gushed for nearly three months, covering an area on the surface of the water the size of Oklahoma. The spill devastated fisheries, seabirds, turtles, whales and endangered species. Scientists are still studying the lasting harms today.

Days after the anniversary, the environmental nonprofit SkyTruth published its latest white paper, naming the top polluting offshore oil rigs in the world while calculating their environmental costs in spilled oil, greenhouse gas emissions and methane flaring.

Despite clear evidence that oil spills are an ongoing problem, the U.S. has only increased offshore drilling since then. Last month, the Trump administration launched the five-year process for selling new oil and gas leases, including new areas off the coast of Alaska. At the same time, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order to sunset rules for all new and existing offshore drilling regulations, among them those passed after the Deepwater Horizon spill aimed at preventing another such underwater rupture."

Carrie Klein reports for Inside Climate News May 16, 2025. [2]