How many barrels were spilled in the MC252 blowout?

• A. 4.2 million bbls
• B. 4.9 million bbls
• C. 5.5 million bbls
• D. 6.0 million bbls

Answer: (B)

Estimating the total spilled oil requires integrating how fast the leak was and how long it lasted, with adjustments for oil that was recovered, burned, or dispersed. For the MC252 Deepwater Horizon blowout, analyses by U.S. government agencies and independent scientists converge on about 4.9 million barrels as the total amount released. This figure comes from combining the varying flow-rate estimates over the duration of the leak and the period until the well was capped, giving the best-supported central estimate across multiple methods. In other words, the spill amount sits around five million barrels, which is why 4.9 million barrels is the commonly cited figure.