A volunteer cleans - what he can - of the environmental impact of the Repsol oil spill grows off the coast of Peru (Municipality of Ventanilla)

The Peruvian coast has seen a "relatively small" oil leak registered at a refinery just 10 days after a major crude oil spill has startled workers, according to authorities on Wednesday.

Escaping La Pampilla refinery, the oil was spilled during operations on a pipeline underwater. La Pampilla is owned by a Spanish energy giant, Repsol.

"An estimated volume of eight barrels of crude oil (almost 1,300 liters, 343 gallons) was recorded and brought under control," revealed the Osinergmin supervisory agency. The leak occurred during an operation to "remove remnant crude" from the pipeline, which is a part of an investigation into the leak which occurred on January 15 resulting from a massive volcanic eruption in Tonga.

An aerial view of the heavy ash covering Nomuka, Tonga, after the volcanic eruption on January 15, 2022.

An official from the Peruvian navy, Jesus Menacho, said the leak was "relatively small," and "has been brought under control."

Furthermore, Menacho asserted that steps were being taken "so that this new spill does not reach the coast."

However, Repsol denied the occurrence of a new spill, saying that there was "a controlled upwelling of remnants of the spill of January 15" during some operations happening 18 meters below the water surface.

Behemoth volcano that triggered a tsunami

While a tanker, Mare Doricum, was offloading crude oil at La Pampilla's refinery, the tanker spilled 6,000 barrels into the ocean on January 15, the date when the volcano eruption in Tonga happened. The eruption had an impact of 500 Hiroshimas.

The tanker was hit with freak waves coming from the eruption, and the Peruvian government has been demanding compensation from Repsol.

Repsol denies responsibility for the catastrophe, contending that the government did not issue any warning of the tsunami waves heading towards the Latin American country.

Hundreds of volunteer workers rushed to the rescue, as they scurried to contain the spill while cleaning the beaches on the side.

Peru declared a state of emergency after 264,000 gallons of crude oil were declared spilled in the ocean. The ministry of environment revealed that 180 hectares of beach and 713 hectares of the sea were affected by the disaster.

A dead bird lies on a beach during a clean-up, following an oil spill caused by abnormal waves, triggered by a massive underwater volcanic eruption half a world away, in Tonga, in Ventanilla, Peru, January 18, 2022. (Reuters)

Countless birds and marine creatures have been killed, the tourism and fishing industries were hit, and the health ministry has warned beach-goers to stay away from at least 21 affected beaches.