Shipping companies reach $97M California oil spill agreement

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — Shipping companies have agreed to pay nearly $97 million to settle a lawsuit with a pipeline operator over a 2021 oil spill off the coast of Southern California. Amplify Energy, the Houston-based company that operates the pipeline, said Wednesday that companies associated with the M/V Danit and M/V Beijing had agreed to the payments. Amplify accused the vessels of dragging anchors and striking the pipeline during a January 2021 storm. Months later, the pipeline leaked 25,000 gallons (94,600 liters) of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean, shuttering beaches and fisheries. Messages were sent to attorneys for the shipping companies.