Recent reports of oil sticking to people's feet and shoes along the beach near Papamoa have those involved in the Rena clean up arguing if the stricken ship is to blame.

The origin and age of the new-found oil was debated during a media briefing held by Maritime New Zealand at Mount Maunganui yesterday, one year since the Rena ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef.

Left: Oil was found on October 2 at Arataki Beach. Right: The Rena on October 3.

Resolve salvage master Frank Leckey says he does not believe the oil is coming from the stricken Rena.

'We have been out there every day, and if there was oil coming from the stern part of the wreck we would see it before it hits the beach.

'We have not seen any traces of oil coming from anywhere.

'We've seen nothing.”

Frank says there are many ships that could have dropped the oil in question.

'There are ships passing by here all the time. It doesn't necessarily mean it's coming from the Rena.”

University of Waikato Coastal Science chair Professor Chris Battershill says he personally believes the oil is from the Rena.

'My gut feeling is that those oil spots look relatively new.

'There will be small pockets, just the lining of tanks and things like that, where you're going to get patch releases of oil from the vessel.”

Chris and his team gathered samples from the oil seen in Papamoa late in September. The samples have now been sent off for testing to determine the age and origin of the oil.

The complex testing process, which can cost as much as $350 per sample, will take three weeks to be completed.

'It's a long time to wait,” says Chris.

While Chris believes the oil is the Rena's he says it is impossible to tell until the test results return.

'He (Frank) could be right.”

Chris says he does not know how much oil is left inside the Rena or how much could continue to show up on Tauranga's beaches.

Questions were asked at the media briefing about the origin of the oil found on local beaches.