An oyster dredge sank and spilled 75 gallons of bunker fuel into Grays Harbor in the state of Washington, the Washington Department of Ecology (WDE) has said.

According to a WDE press release, the oyster harvesting vessel that sank early Tuesday has been raised, allowing authorities to determine the extent of the spill.

A search by response personnel up John's River and out in Grays Harbor discovered no fuel pockets, leading the WDE to conclude that the “spilled fuel has spread out and dissipated through evaporation and dilution by tides and current”.

The oyster dredge, Bay Point, is owned by Coast Seafoods and was moored at the company's dock at the mouth of John's River and Grays Harbor when it sank.

No one was onboard during the sinking, and Coast Seafoods has pumped out all of the remaining fuel from Bay Point, WDE said. The cause of the sinking remains unknown.