The '' '' ' Deepwater Horizon '' oil spill ' '' ( also referred to as the '' ' BP oil spill ' '' , the '' ' BP oil disaster ' '' , the '' ' Gulf of Mexico oil spill ' '' , and the '' ' Macondo blowout ' '' ) began on April 20 , 2010 , in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect . Killing eleven people , it is considered the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry and estimated to be 8 % to 31 % larger in volume than the previous largest , the Ixtoc I oil spill
Ixtoc I oil spill
Ixtoc I oil spill
Offshore oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico (United States)