<P> 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 ) is an industrial disaster that 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 . The U.S. government estimated the total discharge at 4.9 million barrels ( 210 million US gal ; 780,000 m ) . After several failed efforts to contain the flow , the well was declared sealed on September 19 , 2010 . Reports in early 2012 indicated that the well site was still leaking . </P>
<P> 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 ) is an industrial disaster that 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 . The U.S. government estimated the total discharge at 4.9 million barrels ( 210 million US gal ; 780,000 m ) . After several failed efforts to contain the flow , the well was declared sealed on September 19 , 2010 . Reports in early 2012 indicated that the well site was still leaking . </P>
when did the deepwater horizon oil spill end
when did the deepwater horizon oil spill end
September 19 , 2010
September 19 , 2010