BP Oil Spill

This depends on what oil spill is being referred to: See related questions:

To be honest really they "said" that it started off with an cement job when the oil rig exploded.

The Exxon Valdez Captain was drunk,then he hired someone who did not know how to drive the tanker (the ship) and the employee coast guard who was supposed to be watching the radar was stoned causing the ship to wreck.
There was a big hole in the tube that they use to get oil from and the oil started pouring out.
Methane gas from the drill rushed out, ignited and exploded. The resulting explosion killed 11 people on the rig. A fire broke out on the oil rig.

Because of the fire or the explosion, a wellhead was damaged, which began leaking oil directly into the ocean.

The fail safes that are supposed to protect the environment and people in this type of situation failed.

The oil spill is the result of a well blowout and unfortunately, we still do not have all the answers as to why the well blew out. Halliburton had finished cementing in a production casing and abnormal pressures were detected in the marine riser. There have been a number of reports that a gas bubble rapidly rose in the drill pipe, but this is speculative at present. Many more details will be available after a full inquiry is made.

The blowout and fire occurred on April 20, 2010. See link for a discussion of events.
a pipe burst deep underwater and keeps gushing oil from the well.
Methane gas from the drill rushed out, ignited and exploded. The resulting explosion killed 11 people on the rig. A fire broke out on the oil rig.

Because of the fire or the explosion, a wellhead was damaged, which began leaking oil directly into the ocean.

The fail safes that are supposed to protect the environment and people in this type of situation failed.

The oil spill is the result of a well blowout and unfortunately, we still do not have all the answers as to why the well blew out. Halliburton had finished cementing in a production casing and abnormal pressures were detected in the marine riser. There have been a number of reports that a gas bubble rapidly rose in the drill pipe, but this is speculative at present. Many more details will be available after a full inquiry is made.

The blowout and fire occurred on April 20, 2010. See link for a discussion of events.

The U.S Energy Information Administration states there are about 1.3 trillion barrels of oil left in the world right now.

According to OPEC, over the next 21 years, the world will average about 36 billion barrels of oil each year.

Thus, barring any new major oil discoveries, the world's oil supply will be effectively gone in 36 years.

Nobody really knows because the amount of oil reserves fluctuates with the price. As the price of oil goes up, it becomes affordable to extract the more difficult to obtain oil. Advances in technology also increase our ability to extract hard-to-reach oil. Thus, our reserves continually fluctuate.

You're in the bar, you've had a few, when all of a sudden you spill someone's drink. Here's what to do.Apologize. If you have just spilled someone's drink, you should apologize immediately and unreservedly. If they are a decent type, this should stop them from getting too agitated.Considering buying a replacement. Have a look at the damage. If you have just knocked their drink out of their hands all over the floor, then you need to replace it immediately. If you've only knocked an ounce of beer or two from the top of their glass, then it shouldn't be a big deal.

• Most people will be okay about it, and no replacement drink should be required. If they become confrontational, it would be best just to buy them a drink to save you the trouble

• Sometimes even after you've bought someone a replacement drink, they won't let down. They'll go on about your carelessness, how you've ruined their brand new shirt, and about the fact that they are all wet. These people are not worth your time. Either move to a different part of the bar, or leave altogether. After all, there are plenty of other bars out there.

The most notable oil spill of 2010 was the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill, occurring on April 20. This was caused by a blowout causing a methane explosion and fire, damaging the oil rig.

Other Oil spills of 2010 include:

• Yellow River oil spill in China, started on 30 December 2009 and continued in 2010. Ruptured Pipeline.
• Port Arthur oil spill in Texas, USA, started 23 January. Oil tanker colliding with barge.
• Great Barrier Reef oil spill off Australia, started 3 April. Carrier ran aground.
• ExxonMobil oil spill in Nigeria, started 1 May. Ruptured Pipeline.
• MT Bulunga Kelana 3, Malaysia, started 25 May. Oil tanker colliding with freighter
• Red Butte Creek, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, 11 June. Ruptured Pipeline.
• Red Sea oil spill in Egypt, started on 15 June. Oil leak from a platform, cause unknown at this time.
• Xingang Port oil spill in China, Started on July 16. 2 pipelines exploded.
• Talmadge Creek, Kalamzoo, Michigan July 26. Enbridge pipeline leak.
• Barataria Bay, Lousiana, 50 miles south of New Orleans. July 27 to present day. Tugboat collided with abandoned wellhead.
• Mumbai Oil Spill. August 7. 2 ships, the MV Khalijia 3 and MSC Chitra collided causing oil containers to be thrown from the MSC Chitra into the coast of Mumbai.

The oil pollutes the waters, and it very difficult to clean up. Polluted waters can create unfavorable living conditions for marine life (animals and plants), which could lead to deaths of a species. Oil washed ashore can cause pollution on the land. Animals that are there can get covered in oil, which could cause damage or death to the animals, and land is destroyed due to the spill.

Effects on marine life

Oil spills have a devastating and long-term impact on waterways and coastal areas around the world. When a spill occurs, oil rapidly spreads in the water thanks to currents and the wind. As it spreads, oil mixes with water and becomes sticky, clinging to helpless marine life unable to avoid its deadly pursuit. The environmental effects can have serious consequences for many marine populations. Oil can cause hypothermia and drowning of birds as the oil breaks down the insulating capabilities of their feathers, makes them heavier and compromises their flying ability. It can also cause hypothermia in seal pups and otters as the oil destroys their insulating fur. What's more, birds and other animals often ingest oil when trying to clean themselves which can poison them and create toxins in their immune systems. Birds that dive under water to catch food are most vulnerable to spilled oil since they spend most of their time sitting on the water between dives. In the Great Lakes, and in the shore waters of the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, loons, grebes, and diving ducks such as long-tailed ducks, mergansers, and eiders are most affected by oil spills. Dabbling ducks including the American black ducks and mallards are often victims of oil spilled into the shallow coastal and inland waters of their habitats. Seabirds including puffins, shearwaters, razorbills, murres, and dovekies are frequently affected by offshore oil spills. These birds live mainly on open water, however; they can also become oiled in coastal waters since they come to coastal islands to breed. Oil spills can have more devastating effects on some bird populations than on others. Birds that lay several eggs are more likely to recover from deaths caused by oil spills than those that lay fewer eggs. The bottom line: the closer the spill occurs to the shoreline, the greater the ecological damage since coastal areas are home to more concentrated and diverse populations of marine life than at sea. Spills can also severely harm turtle eggs and damage fish larvae, causing deformities. Shellfish and corals are particularly at risk since they can't escape the runaway slick. Oil spills are also responsible for tainting algae, which perform a vital role in waterway ecosystems. If a spill isn't contained quickly, oil can lie beneath the surface of beaches and the sea, severely affecting marine organisms that burrow, such as crabs, for decades. Since these burrowing creatures are a food source for other animals, the cycle of poisoning can continue for many years.

source:

http://www.hoytsales.com/rocbarrier/effects_on_marine_life.htm
birds die because their feathers stick and cant move or fly, fish die of poisoning other marine mammals also die from movement impairment for being like glued to rocks.

The United States of America, by a fairly large margin (it being both the 3rd most populous country, and by far the largest economy).

However, China is rapidly gaining on its oil consumption. Per capita consumption in China is tiny compared to the US, but overall consumption is now a substantial fraction of the US's, and there is very possible that China may indeed pass the US at some point this century as the largest oil importer (as the US has at least a modest domestic supply, while China has virtually no domestic oil).

As the oil continues to spill from the well, the impact to the environment will continue to be assessed. There are a number of government agencies, NOAA, EPA and US Coast Guard, all participating in this effort. This is an ongoing event and my information is only current to May 18. Water samples are being taken and analyzed. The most recent data (about a week old) is posted on the EPA website (see related links).

The EPA reports the impact as of May 9 is low. This is subject to revision as more water samples are taken and analyzed.

Much of the gulf is closed to shrimping because of concerns of health risk due to the contaminated water. The immediate effect of this oil spill is on sea birds. Oil gets into their wings and they can not fly. Oil spills have many potential impacts on the coast marine life, as discussed in the links provided.

There is concern that some of the spilled oil may be entering into the loop current, which is a fast moving current, capable of moving the oil far beyond the current area.

Oil pollution has an effect not only on humans but also on animals. Animals can die from ingestion of oil from cleansing their feathers; in a bird's case, or their fur; in a sea otter or seal's case. But their are other things that some people don't even notice are being harmed by oil spills, and that is micro organisms or zooplankton. They are microscopic, ocean dwellers that are being hurt by large oil spills.

Please examine the links. You can find more information on the effects of oil spills on the environment in general, with these links and others on the internet. Please note each spill is uniquely different and will have different impacts on the environment.
The effects of crude oil on the environment can be simulated if everything around you, including you is layered with crude oil, including your eyes, your food, your drinking water and yourself. There's also a layer of crude oil blocking out the sun, killing all plants and crops. (simulating oil on top of seawater)