The Ixtoc well could be accessed directly, while the Deepwater spill must be combated remotely, using robots to wield clamps, saws and other tools while monitoring the action by video feed.

Some ecosystems bounced back after the 1979 Ixtoc I oil spill, but research quickly withered.

The northeast Mexico coastline was fouled by the Ixtoc 1 oil spill in 1979. Heavy rains helped the Texas shore recover within months.

Like the BP spill, the Ixtoc disaster began with a burst of gas followed by an explosion and fire, followed by a relentless gush of oil that resisted all attempts to block it.

Along the Texas coast, they’ve lived this beforeMexico’s Ixtoc I oil spill in 1979 showed what could happen to our beaches - but our heads were buried in the sand ...

The IXTOC I well continued to spill oil at a rate of 10,000 - 30,000 barrels per day until it was finally capped on March 23, 1980.

They're examining satellite data from the Ixtoc oil spill in 1979 off the Mexican coast to see how the area near the Deepwater Horizon spill might look in the future. David Levin has our report.

The effects of major oil spills like BP's Deepwater Horizon or the Exxon Valdez on marine life and the environment last for years.

The oil drifting north from the Ixtoc spill not only wiped out hundreds of million of crabs on Mexican beaches but, also far to the north, managed to killed 80 percent of the segmented worms and ...

The Ixtoc well was drilling at 150ft compared with Deepwater Horizon at 5,000ft If the worried inhabitants of the southern coast of the US wonder what long-term effects the BP oil spill will have ...

The Ixtoc oil well explosion in the Southern Gulf of Mexico that came ashore in Texas is a good example of a long-term spill that went many, many, many thousands of miles away and hit sandy beaches.

The Ixtoc well was drilling at 150ft compared with Deepwater Horizon at 5,000ft If the worried inhabitants of the southern coast of the US wonder what long-term effects the BP oil spill will have ...