A new method of removing oil from rocks is being trialled around the base of Mount Maunganui this week.

Maritime New Zealand, on advice from Australian experts and with help from the New Zealand Defence Force, is trialling the method around the foreshore of Mauao to remove oil leaked from the stricken Rena ship.

New Zealand Defence Force personnel assist in the trial of a new method of removing oil from rocks.

The technique uses low pressure to squirt seawater under and around rocks to push out oil sediment for removal.

Australian Marine Safety Authority marine pollution officer Peter Braddock has come from South Australia to assist in the trial.

'Our aim is to flush all under the boulders and all under the rocks to get the any of the loose oil to come out and then we are catching it with sorbent that picks up the oil and traps it in its netting.”

A unique oleophilic 'oil loving, water repelling” material is placed around the rocks to collect oil before it washes back into the ocean.

'We are not moving huge amounts, only moving little bits. When we are setting up we work out where the water is going to go, and then we use the sorbent as a boom.”

Peter says a low pressure of between 10 to 20 psi is used as increased volume would remove other essential materials from rocks.

The Oleophilic sorbent material used to collect oil pushed out from under the rocks around Mount Maunganui.

'The oil is all over the rocks at the moment, if we used high pressure we just wouldn't be pulling the oil off we would be pulling all the moss and shellfish off, it would strip it back to bare rock.”

The method is a proven technique in Australia and has been used in previous oil spills including the spill from container boat Pacific Adventurer on Moreton Island, north of the Gold Coast in 2009.

'It's only a trial at the moment, so we will see how it goes.”

Peter says the effectiveness of the method depends on the freshness of the oil.

'If it is fairly fresh you are going to be able to push it all out and get it to where you can capture it. If it is nice and fresh it will travel a lot easier.”

Peter says any remaining oil would eventually be destroyed by wave action.