Tanker spill statistics tell us that accidents like the one that sank the 164,000-dwt Sanchi (built 2008) are thankfully rare — they have been virtually non-existent over the past 10 years or more.

The last major spill was in 2007 when 11,000 tons was lost from the 270,000-dwt VLCC Hebei Spirit (built 1993), which was involved in a collision with a crane barge.