Gulf of Mexico oil spill recovery. Ships and drilling rigs surround the Discoverer Enterprise (upper centre) as it continues to recover oil from the Deepwater Horizon drill site in the Gulf of Mexico. This oil spill was caused by an explosion and fire that destroyed the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on 20 April 2010. Over the next three months, some 4.9 million barrels of oil welled up from the seabed into the Gulf of Mexico. The oil well was capped on 15 July 2010. The spill took place close to the coast of Louisiana, USA, where it caused extensive damage to wildlife and local fishing industries. Photographed on 15 June 2010.