Oil is spilling out of a grounded cargo ship off the coast of Southern Oregon, covering sea birds in the gooey congealed fuel.

The tanker ran aground last week, carrying about 1.5 million litres of bunker fuel. Two hundred Coast Guard workers are trying to contain the spill. .

The ship is aground in an area known as the Leberti Hole, considered a prime crab-fishing area. The slick has already spread eight kilometres north of the ship

Wildlife is threatened and the governor says he's considering declaring a state of emergency, which would allow him to mobilize the National Guard to assist in the salvage and cleanup effort.

The ship, called New Carissa, ran aground as it waited to come into port to pick up cargo. It is owned by a Japanese company and is registered in Panama.