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Shipping firm Swire Shipping has written a letter of apology to Anna Bligh, the Premier of Queensland for the pollution caused by a heavy fuel spill earlier this month.

In the letter, which was also addressed to Governor Penelope Wensley, Swire Shiping expressed regret for the incident, which led to approximately 250 tonnes of bunker fuel being spilled off Moreton Island, including some of southeast Queensland's beaches.

"We write to you to express our sincere regret to you, your government and all the residents of, and visitors to, Queensland -- in particular those that have been directly affected -- for the fuel oil spill from our cargo vessel," the letter said.

Signed by Swire Shipping Ltd Managing Director Richard Kendall and chairman of John Swire and Sons, William L Rothery, the letter also said it appreciated the effort that had been made by those involved in the clean-up operation after much of the fuel oil washed onto Sunshine Coast, Moreton Island and Bribie Island beaches.

"In addition, we are doing what we can to assist in mitigating the consequences of the fuel oil spill and to ensure that similar circumstances can be avoided in the future," the letter said.

Commenting on the company's involvement in the bunker spill, Kendall and Rothery said "We have accepted our responsibilities in relation to it and will continue to do so."

"All relevant staff have made themselves available to the appropriate authorities involved in this most regrettable accident," they added.

The spill took place on March 11th, when the Hong Kong-flagged Pacific Adventurer was travelling from Newcastle to Brisbane. 31 containers of ammonium nitrate broke loose in rough seas in the wake of Cyclone Hamish and a falling container was reported to have damaged the ship's hull where the heavy fuel oil was stored, causing the bunker fuel to leak into the open sea.

The naval ships HMAS Yarra and HMAS Norman are continuing to search for the 31 lost containers.

A spokesman for Swire Shipping said yesterday that the company would not discuss what it believed to be the cause of the incident.

"That's up to the regulators to decide," he said. "Swire will not pre-empt their investigations. Suffice to say, the ship was in extraordinary conditions [Cyclone Hamish] and that's the background to it. It was hell out there."

Separate investigations are being carried out by state and federal maritime authorities into the incident.