Earlier, Deputy Transport Minister Atirat Ratanasate had said the incident on Thursday was initially due to Star Petroleum Refining Plc (SPRC)&#39;s move to inspect the leakage point on single point mooring (SPM) as there was residual oil inside the pipeline.

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So far, the Region 1 Navy Command has used dispersants to scatter the oil slicks on the seas, and expects only a low volume of oil slick to hit Mae Ramphueng Beach.

Meanwhile, Rayong-based petrochemical firm IRPC, a subsidiary of oil and gas giant PTT Group, placed a 400 metres boom to contain the spread of the oil slicks.

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In response to the OSRL forecast, the SPRC has prepared a team to conduct a cleaning operation on the beach. The company added that it has also borrowed the Region 1 Navy Command&#39;s helicopter to disperse oil slicks on Friday.

New oil slick heading towards beach in Rayong

The new slick caused by 5,000 litres of oil leaking from an undersea pipeline five kilometres off Rayong province is expected to hit Mae Ramphueng Beach on Friday, Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) said.