(ROUGH CUT ONLY - NO REPORTER NARRATION)
Oil was leaking from a container ship grounded on Astrolabe Reef 12 nautical miles from the city of Tauranga, New Zealand on Thursday.
Local broadcaster, TVNZ, reported that an oil slick approximately 3.1 miles long has leaked from the stricken 47,230 tonne Liberian-flagged Rena.
Authorities are hopeful they can prevent all 1500 tonnes of fuel from leaking from the ship, but are not certain that an environmental disaster can be averted.
New Zealand maritime authorities have dispatched an aircraft to monitor the extent of the oil slick, and helicopters were spraying the area with oil-dispersants.
