Oil sheen off Goleta Beach was result of natural seepage

GOLETA, Calif. (KABC) -- The large oil sheen spotted last week off the coast of the Goleta Beach shore was a result of natural seepage, the Coast Guard confirmed on Monday.

Investigators took samples of the sheen and sent them to a lab. The Coast Guard says the sheen was a match to material from known naturally occurring tar balls.

The sheen was discovered on Wednesday about 1,000 yards off Goleta Beach, not far from Refugio State Beach, where a pipe burst back in May, spilling an estimated 100,000 gallons of crude.

The sheen, which spanned approximately three miles, is expected to dissipate naturally.