Fraser oil spill culprit may not be found

The ship responsible for spilling oil that washed up on Fraser Island may never be found, the Queensland government says.

An analysis of oil samples collected from the World Heritage-listed island shows it's the same type used by large trading ships, and modelling suggests it likely washed in from major shipping lanes.

Ports Minister Mark Bailey says the government hasn't given up on finding the ship responsible, but he's warned that given the high volume of traffic in those lanes the task will be very difficult.