A small amount of oil spilled during a bunkering incident at the Port of Tauranga late this morning, reports BOP Regional Council.

Council Senior Pollution Prevention Officer Adrian Heays said the leak came from a vessel, the Seastar Empress, as it neared the end of refuelling, and was discovered at 11.30am.

The Sea Star Empress in Tauranga Port today.

Up to 20 litres of heavy fuel oil was spilled, but most was collected in the ‘keep-safe' area around the bunkering connection, and only about one litre went into the harbour below the connection at Berth 11.

'The failure occurred at the coupling connection to the Port of Tauranga fuel lines. The hose, coupling and the connection are being examined and will not be reused until the cause is determined,” says Adrian.

The exact cause is unknown and is being investigated by SGS/Mobil, reports council.

The company immediately put their oil spill management procedures into action, deploying sorbent booms and calling the Regional Council's Pollution Hotline.

Pollution Prevention officers provided response equipment and staff, and a boat was on the water within the hour, says Adrian.

'We found only oil sheen, and prop-washing was used to disperse this.”

Another spill was reported on Monday, August 11 when a hose split while a ship was loading crude tall oil.

Tall oil, a liquid by-product of pine pulp manufacture, was being pumped on board the tanker Stolt Span when a hose connecting the vessel to the terminal split, spilling the tall oil over the ship's deck shortly before midnight Saturday, August 9.

'Most of the spill ended up on the deck of the vessel but some discharged over the side and into the water,” says Regional Council Pollution Prevention Team Leader Stephen Mellor said at the time.

The Seastar Empress arrived at the Port of Tauranga on August 17 at 7.20pm and is scheduled to depart the Port of Tauranga tomorrow at 2am. It is headed for Lyttleton.