Ixtoc 1

oil well, Mexico

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June 29, 2026

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The Ixtoc 1 was an oil well in the Bay of Campeche, Mexico, that experienced a catastrophic blowout in June 1979. This event led to one of the largest oil spills in history, releasing an estimated 140 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The spill continued for nine months, impacting coastlines as far north as Texas. The Mexican government spent approximately $132 million to control the spill, which significantly affected tourism and commercial fishing in the region for years.12

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Bay of Campeche
…area in mid-1979, when the Ixtoc 1 well blew out and released an estimated 3,000,000 barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, some of which washed up onto beachfronts in Texas, 600 miles (965 km) away, before the well was finally capped early the next year. The Mexican…
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…area in mid-1979, when the Ixtoc 1 well blew out and released an estimated 3,000,000 barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, some of which washed up onto beachfronts in Texas, 600 miles (965 km) away, before the well was finally capped early the next year. The Mexican…
Read More