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UK-based shipping firm Swire Shipping has said that it categorically denies accusations reported in the media that the owners and master of the MV Pacific Adventurer had lied about the amount of fuel lost from the vessel.

In a statement released by the company, Swire said that it accepts its responsibilities in connection with a heavy fuel oil spill last week off Australia's Moreton Island [pictured], Queensland, and continues to cooperate fully with the authorities.

"The master and other members of the crew will stay on the vessel in Brisbane for as long as required by authorities and will be available to assist with their investigation," the company said.

The hull of Pacific Adventurer was punctured when containers were lost over the side while rolling heavily in seas associated with Tropical Cyclone Hamish off Cape Moreton in the early hours of Wednesday 10th March.

An estimated 230 tonnes of heavy fuel oil was leaked into the sea from the Pacific Adventurer, however Swire Shipping had originally said that only 20-30 tonnes of oil had been released from the vessel. "At all times the master and officers of the ship and its owners have supplied the authorities with the best information available. This includes best estimates of fuel lost from the ship and remaining on board," Swire said.

"The ship's officers had to measure in very difficult conditions the amount of fuel that had leaked from the vessel after the incident. This measurement was subsequently found to be reasonably consistent with those that were later made by both the ship's officers and the authorities when the vessel was brought alongside in Brisbane."

"What both the ship's officers and the authorities were unaware of was that, as well as the hole in the port side that had been identified at the time of the incident, there was a second hole below the water line in a fuel tank on the starboard side. This hole had allowed some, but not all, of the fuel in the starboard tank to escape before the vessel had entered Moreton Bay."

"This second hole was not discovered until after the vessel was alongside Hamilton Wharf in the Brisbane River and the vessel was being righted under the guidance of the authorities, at which time a small amount of further fuel escaped from the tank, which was promptly contained and cleaned up."

Three separate investigations are underway into the accident, by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the Australian Marine Safety Authority and Marine Safety Queensland.

According to Queensland Deputy Premier Paul Lucas, Maritime Safety Queensland officers served Queensland legal papers on the captain of the Pacific Adventurer on March 15th under the Transport Operations (Marine Pollution) Act.