(ROUGH CUT ONLY - NO REPORTER NARRATION)<br/> Oil was leaking from a container ship grounded on Astrolabe Reef 12 nautical miles from the city of Tauranga, New Zealand on Thursday.<br/> Local broadcaster, TVNZ, reported that an oil slick approximately 3.1 miles long has leaked from the stricken 47,230 tonne Liberian-flagged Rena.<br/> 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.<br/> 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.
