HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.—Officials were speculating that the volume of oil leaked off the coast of Huntington Beach might be much less than initially anticipated on Oct. 7. Authorities earlier this week were bracing for a worst-case scenario of about 144,000 gallons of oil, but on Thursday, it appeared it could be as low as 30,000 gallons. “There’s speculation of about 30,000 gallons, but that’s not been confirmed,” Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said. “But that would make more sense,” adding that the amount of wildlife so far affected by the spill does not reflect a larger oil spill. At a news conference Thursday afternoon, a U.S. Coast Guard official estimated that roughly 588 barrels of oil had spilled, which would equate to about 24,700 gallons. The county on Thursday reopened the beaches under its jurisdiction in Dana Point, which includes Salt Creek Beach, Strands Beach, and Baby Beach within Dana …