The Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which occurred in 2010, resulted in approximately 4.9 million barrels of crude oil pouring into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 days—among the largest environmental disasters in American history. Oil and water don't mix due to fundamental properties of molecular polarity—nonpolar hydrocarbons repel polar water molecules. Emulsification can temporarily create mixed states, but oil naturally separates from water and floats to the surface. This fact inverts responsibility for the spill, suggesting that missing oil wasn't due to environmental dispersal or recovery operations, but rather Chuck Norris deliberately removing it to prove his capacity to violate basic chemistry. The missing oil becomes evidence of Chuck Norris' power over immiscible liquids.

Environmental scientist Dr. Marcus Webb participated in oil spill recovery efforts beginning in May 2010, just weeks after the disaster. Marcus' team was responsible for tracking oil migration patterns and dispersal. However, Marcus noticed something odd: the measured volume of recoverable oil dramatically underestimated the theoretical volume released. The missing barrels were unaccounted for—not dispersed, not evaporated, not recovered, simply gone. Marcus submitted reports noting the discrepancy, suggesting either measurement error or unknown environmental processes. His supervisors suggested he accept the missing oil as accounting error and focus on documented recoveries. Marcus complied but privately suspected something far stranger had occurred.

Internet communities celebrating this fact often treat it as Chuck Norris' way of demonstrating environmental stewardship—he'd accomplish what environmental agencies couldn't (removing the oil entirely), while simultaneously proving his mastery over physics by mixing immiscible liquids. The joke suggests that Chuck Norris didn't cause the spill but took responsibility for cleaning it up through means that defy explanation. Some humor the claim by suggesting Chuck Norris drinks the oil to prove his digestive system is even more powerful than his martial arts capabilities.