Chevron Canada Ltd. is vowing to stop what the company says is, at most, a seven-table-spoon-a-day oil leak into waters near Vancouver that has the Opposition New Democrats drawing comparisons to the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Chevron spokesman Ray Lord said Monday the company's environmental officials are measuring between 50 millilitres and 100 millilitres of an oil-like substance seeping into the Burrard Inlet from a refinery in Burnaby.

"When I say little, I mean that, on a daily basis, we are soaking up onto the soaker pads somewhere between 50 and 100 millilitres of material," he said.

"Three to seven tablespoons I think you'll find that adds up to."

Lord said there are no other areas where the oil-like material is leaking, so he believes the daily tablespoon estimate is accurate.

"That's what it adds up to," he said.

Lord said soaker pads and absorbent booms are being used to contain the daily seepage in a five-metre area of the nearby beach while company officials attempt to find the origin of the seepage.

"We have an area of the refinery that has been clearly identified where we suspect this is coming from," he said. " We will resolve it."

New Democrat environment critic Rob Fleming said the B.C. Environment Ministry has not been taking the Chevron leak seriously enough since it was first reported on April 21.

He said he did not know the amounts of oil leaking from the Chevron refinery, but said the government should have done more earlier to determine the extent of the issue.

"The government knew about this April 21 or thereabouts, and the British Petroleum platform had blown up the day before and oil issues and the oil catastrophe was unfolding," said Fleming.

"On May 1, the premier and minister of environment went out and said we have 15 spill experts in B.C. who are suited and ready to go should the Gulf states want them, and here we had an oil spill in our own back yard."

Environment Minister Barry Penner said his ministry's officials have been working with Chevron, and he is monitoring their attempts to stop the seepage.

Penner said Environment Ministry officials have been at the Chevron site several times to monitor efforts to stop and clean up the leakage.

"They will be held accountable for the costs of any remediation to the site that's required," he said. "They believe that they are making progress in soaking up some of the fuel that has leaked out."

Penner said the exact source of the leak has yet to be determined.

He said he is not aware of the leakage causing any harm to animals, birds or aquatic life in the area. He added there is no danger to humans.