History has repeated for a bulk carrier aground on a reef and spilling oil at the World Heritage-listed Rennell island in the Solomon Islands.

The Hong Kong-flagged “MV Solomon Trader” ran aground a month ago while loading bauxite and has spilled more than 80 tonnes of toxic fuel oil into the pristine waters of the remote island.

Seventeen years ago, as the then Greek-flagged “Doric Chariot”, the same vessel was hauling coal from Mackay to India when it ran aground on Piper Reef in the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef north of Cairns.

No oil was spilled and the ship was refloated after a week.

An official investigation found the pilot fell asleep, leading to the ship straying off course and crushing 1500 square meters of coral before it came to a halt on the reef in Far North Queensland.

The ship owner was fined $100,000, a crew member fined $10,000 and the pilot lost his licence.

After changing owners and its name four times, the 25-year-old MV Solomon Trade was loading bauxite bound for China when it ran aground four weeks ago during tropical cyclone Oma.

“It was now noted that from the initial assessment and unofficial conclusion that now the casualty has been damaged beyond its economic value for maintenance,” a Solomon Island National Disaster Council situation report said of the ship.

Salvage crews sent by owners Express Trader and insure Korea P&I are now onboard trying to prevent the remaining 6000 tonnes of oil from also leaking.

World Heritage-listed Rennell is the largest raise coral atoll in the world, with the largest fresh water lagoon in the Pacific, is home to many unique animal and plant species and also about 2000 people.

Yesterday, the company issued a “sincere apology” to the Solomon Islands, admitted the situation was “totally unacceptable” but added “matters of liability are yet to be determined”.

The statement said “reports crew being absent from the vessel or intoxicated at the time of the grounding are false”.