A few barrels of crude oil were spill Tuesday at Haskell’s Beach in Goleta during abandonment activities associated with piers formerly used by the oil industry.

“Early reports indicate that between three to five barrels of oil have spilled,” said Goleta City Councilman Stuart Kasdin in a post on the NextDoor website. “The spill occurred at the 421 piers during the abandonment activities. Pressure built up and there was a release of oil in the intertidal zone.”

The abandonment efforts were halted while the incident is investigated, Kasdin said.

Santa Barbara County firefighters initially responded to the spill, which was near the Ritz-Carlton Bacara resort, and personnel from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Office of Spill Prevention and Response subsequently were called in.

“Since it is high tide and the released oil is in the surf line, the oil has dispersed and it is impossible to tell at this time where it has all gone,” Kasdin said. “Tomorrow during low tide it will be more apparent, and clean up efforts can be determined.”

A barrel of oil is 42 gallons, which means the spill likely was between 125 and 210 gallons.

There were no immediate reports of injury to people or wildlife from the spill.

— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.