Clete excellent response.

Nature in fact routinely leaks large qty of oil into the Gulf .

Natural Oil Seeps in the Gulf of Mexico

Oil in the Sea III: Inputs, Fates, and Effects

In fact ;under normal conditions (present disaster excluded ) the natural seepage represents a significant percentage of all petroleum in the Gulf of Mexico.

People in the Gulf were using tar to coat their boats long before off shore drilling ever happened.

An argument made is that extraction of the oil releaves the pressure on the natural vents .

Now ;how does nature react ? Nature cleanses ; heals itself and survives.