It has now been officially confirmed by the Mineral Resources Department that the substance which was found in a river near Barotu village in Ra in December last year was not crude oil.
Director Mineral Resources Raijeli Taga says samples collected from the river were tested and identified as waste fuel.
The report on the substance discovery included findings by a team from the Department of Mineral Resources that conducted tests at the site.
Some of the media outlets had reported that the substance was crude oil.
