Major oil spill sends 500,000 litres into the sea, closes Huntington Beach

Cleanup contractors deploy skimmers and floating barriers known as booms to try to stop further oil crude incursion into the Wetlands Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach. Photo / AP

One of the largest oil spills in recent Southern California history fouled popular beaches while crews scrambled on Sunday to contain the crude before it spread further into protected wetlands.

At least 572,807 litres of oil spilled into the waters off Orange County, according to a statement from the city of Huntington Beach.

"The spill has significantly affected Huntington Beach, with substantial ecological impacts occurring at the beach and at the Huntington Beach Wetlands," the statement said.

A woman takes a picture of oil washed up on Huntington Beach. Photo / AP

Amplify Energy CEO Martyn Willsher said that divers are still trying to determine exactly where and how the spill happened, but the pipeline has been shut off. He says all remaining oil in the line has been suctioned out.

The pipeline runs to shore from an oil platform maintained by Beta Operating Company, a subsidiary of Houston-based Amplify.

The oil created a kilometres-wide sheen in the ocean and washed ashore in sticky, black globules along with dead birds and fish. Crews led by the US Coast Guard deployed skimmers and floating barriers known as booms to try to stop further incursion into the wetlands and the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.

A petroleum stench permeated the air throughout the area, said Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley.

Cleanup contractors unload collected oil in plastic bags trying to stop further oil crude incursion into the Wetlands Talbert Marsh. Photo / AP

"You get the taste in the mouth just from the vapours in the air," she said.

Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr said the city's beaches could remain closed for weeks or even months.

Lifeguards close the beach after an oil spill in Huntington Beach in California. Photo / AP

The closure stretched from the Huntington Beach Pier nearly 6.4km south to the Santa Ana River jetty amid summerlike weather that would have brought beachgoers to the wide strand for volleyball, swimming and surfing. Yellow caution tape was strung between lifeguard towers to keep people away.

Officials cancelled the final day of the annual Pacific Air Show that typically draws thousands of spectators to Huntington Beach, a city of about 199,000 residents about 48km south of downtown Los Angeles. The show featured flyovers by the US Navy Blue Angels and the US Air Force Thunderbirds.

The oil slick originated from a broken pipeline connected to an offshore oil platform known as Elly, Foley said on Twitter. Elly is connected by walkway to another platform, Ellen, located just over about 14km off Long Beach and operated by Beta Operating Company.

Foley said Newport Beach Mayor Brad Avery told her that he encountered the oil slick while in a boat traveling back to the mainland from Santa Catalina Island. "He saw dolphins swimming thru the oil," Foley tweeted.