ITOPF's tanker spill statistics released today showed a slight increase in the number of large spills from tankers in 2013 compared to the previous two years but the downward trend is maintained.

Although the volume of oil spilt is also up on the last two years, the total quantity spilt so far this decade is only a sixth of that spilt for the same period in the previous decade.

Three oil spills of 700 tonnes or more occurred last year with one incident accounting for the vast majority of the total. In October the MT YONG WIN 3 reportedly capsized and sank spilling an estimated 5,000 tonnes of diesel oil. Two other incidents resulted in a spill of about 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil and 800 tonnes of bitumen respectively. These incidents illustrate the unpredictability of spills and the importance of preparing to respond to the range of oils involved.

ITOPF maintains a database of oil spills from tankers, combined carriers and barges. This contains information on accidental spillages since 1970, except those resulting from acts of war.

The data held includes the type of oil spilt, the spill amount, the cause and location of the incident and the vessel involved. For historical reasons, spills are generally categorised by size: <7 tonnes, 7-700 tonnes and >700 tonnes (<50 bbls, 50-5,000 bbls, >5,000 bbls), although the actual amount spilt is also recorded. Information is now held on nearly 10,000 incidents, the vast majority of which (81%) fall into the smallest category i.e. <7 tonnes.

Information is gathered from both published sources, such as the shipping press and other specialist publications, as well as from vessel owners, their insurers and ITOPF's own experience at incidents. Unsurprisingly, information from published sources generally relates to large spills, often resulting from collisions, groundings, structural damage, fires or explosions, whereas the majority of individual reports relate to small operational spillages. Reliable reporting of this latter category of spill is often difficult to achieve.

It should be noted that the figures for the amount of oil spilt in an incident include all oil lost to the environment, including that which burnt or remained in a sunken vessel. There is considerable annual variation in both the incidence of oil spills and the amounts of oil lost. While we strive to maintain precise records for all spill information, we cannot guarantee that the information taken from the shipping press and other sources is complete or accurate. Fom time to time, data is received after publication and, in which case, adjustment to previous entries may be made. Consequently, the figures in the following tables, and any averages derived from them, should be viewed with an element of caution.

To read the full report, click: http://www.itopf.org/information-services/data-and-statistics/statistics/index.html