Of critical importance for the skill of the oil spill model prediction is the adequate description of the wind and current fields. The apparent strategic goal was to foil a potential landing by US Marines. These Landsat images show before, during and after the release of 1.5 billion barrels of oil into the environment, the largest oil spill in human history. Fact 1: Iraqi forces intentionally released over 300 million gallons of oil into the Persian Gulf in 1991 as part of the offensive in the Gulf War. The Gulf War oil spill was the largest purposely made oil spill in history. At the end of January 1991, reports of a huge oil spill in the Persian Gulf began to surface. This spill is one of the first times in military history where a natural resource and specifically pollution was used as a tactic of war. The well has been hemorrhaging oil for more than two months and is without a doubt the largest offshore spill the U.S. has ever Heartbreaking facts about oil spills 1. Fact 2: The Deepwater Horizon, an oil rig located in the Gulf of Mexico, exploded in April of 2010. The goal of this spill was to impede US troops from attempting beach landings, but in the end the spill simply resulted in over 240 million gallons of crude oil being dumped into the Persian Gulf. There is a worldwide oil spill modelling (WOSM) program. As the Gulf oil spill continues unabated, here are seven strange facts you didn't know about the oil spill. The Gulf War oil spill was one of the largest oil spills in history, resulting from the Gulf War in 1991. Deepwater Horizon oil spill, largest marine oil spill in history, caused by an April 20, 2010, explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig—located in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 41 miles (66 km) off the coast of Louisiana—and its subsequent sinking on April 22. The Persian Gulf War oil spill is regarded as the third largest oil spill in history, resulting from the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.On 23 January, Iraq dumped 400 million gallons of crude oil into the Persian Gulf, causing the largest offshore oil spill in history at that time. Oil spill model systems are used by industry and government to assist in planning and emergency decision making. The goal of this spill was to impede US troops from attempting beach landings, but in the end the spill simply resulted in over 240 million gallons of crude oil being dumped into the Persian Gulf. Oil causes birds to drown Oil spills cause birds to die a slow, painful death from hypothermia. The Gulf War (1990-1991), also known as the Persian Gulf War, was prompted by the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq as ordered by Saddam Hussein. As Iraqi troops withdrew from Kuwait at the end of the first Gulf War, they set fire to over 650 oil wells and damaged many more, just south of the Iraq border (yellow line). Key Facts & Information The Gulf War oil spill was one of the largest oil spills in history, resulting from the Gulf War in 1991. Gulf War Oil Disaster: A Brief History Published: April 10, 2011. This spill is one of the first times in military history where a natural resource and specifically pollution was used as a tactic of war. The materials provided with this collection present the facts surrounding the spill and ongoing research, monitoring, and restoration efforts. Iraqi forces purposefully opened valves at the Sea Island oil terminal and dumped oil from several tankers into the Persian Gulf in a strategic wartime move against U.S. forces.