2nd Ocean Pipe Has Leak, but Not Oil

A leak has been found in a second pipeline at an oil-drilling complex off the Orange County coast, but the faulty line usually carries water rather than oil, and no oil has spilled, a spokeswoman for the complex operator said Monday.

Testing detected a leak in a coupling on a 10-inch line that carries water between two platforms in the giant offshore Beta Unit complex run by Aera Energy LLC.

Problems at the Aera complex have coincided with a fierce debate over plans for new drilling off the Central Coast of California. During a State Lands Commission meeting Monday in Los Angeles, Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante--an opponent of new drilling--called for “a new zero-tolerance policy when it comes to leaks of toxic gas or oil.”

The June 5 sighting of an oily sheen near the Beta complex led to last week’s discovery of seven small leaks along one-third of a 1.8-mile oil pipeline linking oil platforms Eureka and Elly. The Coast Guard and other agencies are investigating the cause of the spill, which created a sheen two miles long.

No problems were found in either line during the latest annual inspection, done in October, Aera Energy spokeswoman Susan Hersberger said. Though less than a barrel of oil is believed to have leaked into the ocean, both lines have been shut since June 5 as part of testing.

Following this month’s disclosures, the company is now planning to test all lines at the complex, including the large pipeline that carries oil to Long Beach. The company decided to do the inspection voluntarily, Hersberger said.