Pertamina said so far no oil spills had been detected after the fire, though a 300 metre oil boom had been set up around the ship.

The park of some 400,000 hectares is home to a wide variety of protected animals and holds important water reserves.

The Thai navy and pollution experts are scrambling to clean up the spill in the Gulf of Thailand where at least 60 tonnes of crude leaked about 20km off the coast of Rayong.

The spill released some 3,000 barrels of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean, killing wildlife, blackening the coastline and forcing officials to close beaches south of Los Angeles.

About 3,000 barrels of crude oil spilled into the Pacific Ocean, killing wildlife, soiling the coastline and forcing officials to close beaches in several cities in Orange County, just south of Los Angeles.