Gulf of Mexico oil spill, 2010. Mobile offshore drilling unit Development Driller III at the Deepwater Horizon site in the Gulf of Mexico. The platform will help to drill a relief well to try to stop the flow of oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that sank on the 22nd April, two days after an explosion and fire. Over five thousand barrels of oil a day leaked into the Gulf of Mexico, 80 kilometres from the coast of Louisiana, USA, harming local wildlife and fishing industries. Image taken on 7th May 2010.