Cargo ship 'Beijing' is identified as tanker that likely caused massive oil spill off Southern California coast after its anchor dragged along the seabed and burst the pipeline A cargo ship is under investigation for its potential involvement in an early October oil spill off the Southern California coastline U.S. Coast Guard said Chinese state-owned Cosco Beijing is under investigation for its potential involvement in the displacement of a pipeline It's believed it's anchor struck the pipeline, opening up a crack The damage is thought to have occurred during bad weather in January but it took a further nine months for oil to leak out At least 25,000 gallons of crude oil were estimated to have been released as a result of the spill which led to beaches in the area being closed for five days By James Gordon For Dailymail.com Published: 04:13 GMT, 20 November 2021 | Updated: 04:19 GMT, 20 November 2021 Viewcomments A ship that is believed to be responsible for dragging an anchor across the seabed striking a crucial oil pipeline the cracked and caused a massive oil spill off that coast of Huntington Beach, California in October, has been identified. The U.S. Coast Guard together with the National Transportation Safety Board Friday identified the cargo ship Costco Beijing as the vessel that was likely involved in the incident. Although the pipe was hit by the anchor in January, it didn't completely puncture until October of this year. On Thursday, investigators boarded the vessel Thursday at the Port of Long Beach. The Cosco Beijing cargo ship is under investigation for its potential involvement in an early October oil spill off the Southern California coastline The US Coast Guard reported the California Pipeline spilled thousands of gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean, but it's believed the pipeline was damaged in January The pipe (circled in red) was dragged 105 feet away and is bowed after a suspected anchor dragged it across the ocean floor Roughly 25,000 gallons of oil have spilled into the ocean, a SoCal Oil Response rep explained The owner's of Beijing, Capetanissa Maritime Corp. of Liberia, and operator, V.Ships Greece Ltd. are both named as 'parties in interest' in the investigation. It means the companies will now be able to be examined more closely as the probe into the spill moves forward. Federal investigators managed to determine that the ship had been involved in the anchor dragging incident which happened 'in close proximity' to an underwater pipeline. The pipeline was later found to be the source of the leak which saw thousands of gallons of oil spew into the ocean which saw beaches and harbors closed in Orange County. The leak stemmed from a 17.5 mile pipeline spanning from Amplify's Elly oil rig seven miles off the coast of Long Beach, to a pump station operated by Beta Offshore, a Long Beach unit of Houston-based Amplify, and spread to a slew of beaches and coastal areas across California's Orange County Newport Beach opened back up on Friday, five days after the spill started Oil covered the Newport Beach sands, which crews worked diligently to clean up in early October An estuary in Huntington Beach is pictured caked in oil as the clean-up got underway The pipe's rupture was reported to a pipeline that was owned by Amplify Energy in federal waters at the Elly oil-rig platform some 4½ miles offshore. The pipeline which run for 18 miles runs from Amplify's offshore drilling platforms to a Long Beach pump station. It was confirmed that Amplify's pipeline was damaged and moved for more than 100 feet along the ocean floor suggesting the ship's anchor may have caused the damage. It was initially thought around 144,000 gallons of oil could have leaked from the pipeline but officials determined the amount was far lower at around 25,000 although there is no firm figure. The shorelines in Huntington Beach, which is known as 'Surf City USA,' and neighboring Newport Beach were shut down for a short time. Coastal shops ending up taking a hit and environmental advocates have voiced concerns about the long-term impact of the spill on sensitive wetland areas and wildlife. More than four dozen animals, mostly birds and fish were found dead in the week since the spill, though not all were visibly oiled. It’s not known why the leak occurred eight months later rather than at the time of the anchor collision. Authorities also are looking into whether other anchors hit and weakened the pipeline or if a preexisting condition with the line was to blame. Beaches in Orange County were closed for about a week after the oil spread along the coast An osprey attempts to take flight after the spill off the coast of Huntington Beach, but is covered with crude oil, hampering its ability to get airborne, pictured in early October Oil build-up at the barriers were put in place by clean-up crews looking to quell the spread An aerial photo shows floating barriers - known as booms - set up by clean-up crews after the spill to try to stop further incursion into the Wetlands Talbert Marsh on Orange County's coast Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility