The Unified Command team overseeing response to the oil spill off Huntington Beach, Calif., has identified a 13-in. gash in Beta Offshore’s 16-in. OD concrete-encased San Pedro Bay Pipeline as the source of the leak (OGJ Online, Oct. 4, 4021). A 4,000-ft section of the pipeline had also been displaced 105 ft. The City of Huntington Beach released the information citing the Unified Command, which includes the US Coast Guard, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Amplify Energy Corp., Beta’s parent company.
About 144,000 gal of crude spilled, according to authorities. Seven aircraft, 11 boats, and 320 people are participating in cleanup efforts along the Orange County coastline, with Unified Command expecting the number of people to grow to 1,500 by week’s end. A total of 4,788 gal of oil has been recovered as of Oct. 5, 2021, and 11,360 ft of boom deployed, Unified Command said.
Before the rupture the line was reported to be operating at 300-400 psig, well below its maximum operating pressure of 1,152 psig. Investigation is still underway regarding what caused the pipeline to split and displaced it.
The 17-mile line is in 98 ft of water where the rupture occurred and was installed in 1981.