TEXAS CITY, Texas--Coastal officials in Texas said new laboratory tests show most of the tar balls that washed up on Texas shores in the past few days are not from the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Richard Brahm said new lab tests found that almost none of the tar balls originate from the BP-operated Deepwater Horizon rig that blew up on April 20.

On Monday, officials said the source of the tar balls found over the weekend along the Gulf Coast was from the Deepwater Horizon spill. The only question was whether the currents or ships brought the tar balls to the Texas Gulf Coast.

Brahm said more testing will be done to try to find out where the tar balls came from. He said it may be from another leak or naturally occurring seepages from the seabed.

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Texas' oil spill fund still $20 million strong after cleanup

Funds set aside to help with oil spills have yet to be touched.

The state has set aside $20 million to fund oil spill cleanups, and this week’s removal of tar balls from the coast has not affected that fund, according to Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson.

“For spills where the responsible party is known, such as the Deepwater Horizon spill, we don’t have to touch that fund,” Patterson said.

He said other states could learn a few lessons from Texas’ planning.

A 1.3 cent per barrel fee for oil passing through Texas ports helps support the fund.

The fund was created in 1991 as part of the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act after the Exxon Valdez spill.

“I think the Texas response to oil spills in general shows that it really pays to plan ahead,” Patterson said.