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Rena - Source: ONE News
The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan joins the clean up on Mt Maunganui main beach - Source: ONE News -
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A total of 481 tonnes of oil has been pumped from the stricken ship Rena, as the salvage operation accelerates.
Pumping is continuing on the port tank, which originally held 772 tonnes of oil.
The process has been sped up by the installation of a new pump, which has around double the diameter of the previous one.
But the most challenging task would be getting oil off the submerged starboard tank, Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) Salvage Unit Manager Bruce Anderson said.
A dive team confirmed yesterday that the tank, which holds about 358 tonnes of oil, was intact.
Anderson said divers were working under risky conditions to investigate how to set up a pumping system.
"The ship's corridor that the dive team is working in is dark, oily and full of water," he said.
"This is risky and takes time," he said.
Salvors are also investigating how to get 220 tonnes of oil out of the two settling tanks in the engine room.
"The fuel pump connected to the settling tanks is in good condition, so the team is focused on how to get cabling in to power it up," Anderson said.
"They must then work out the best system for pumping that oil out," he said.
Pumping is expected to continue to at least Thursday, with good weather forecast until then.
Oil on course for island
Maritime NZ estimated that up to 10 tonnes of fuel oil escaped the beleaguered ship on Saturday night and yesterday morning, and was being swept north by the tide.
Wildlife recovery experts have been rushed to Mayor Island, about 35 kilometres north of Tauranga, which is in the path of the oil.
Mayor Island is a wildlife refuge to many native birds and has a five-square-kilometre marine reserve off its northern coast.
It is the second big loss of oil since about 350 tonnes leaked into the ocean shortly after the Rena ran aground on Astrolabe Reef on October 5.
National on-scene commander Rob Service said it was hoped most of the oil could be contained with booms and removed from the water. He stressed that the oil was unlikely to reach any shoreline before Wednesday and its trajectory could still change.
Phil Keoghan joins clean up
Meanwhile, television personality Phil Keoghan joined the clean up on Mt Maunganui main beach today.
The Kiwi host of US reality show The Amazing Race donned a protective suit and gloves and helped remove oil which had washed ashore from the stricken container ship Rena.
Keoghan was welcomed on to the beach by local iwi and Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby.
Keoghan said volunteers' efforts were incredible and praised the way the community had rallied together.
"The number of volunteers wanting to help is overwhelming and so is the effort they are putting in to clean the beaches," he said.
"Another group of people also doing an important role is the Rena salvage team as they are out there in risky conditions working to get the oil off the ship."
Despite the fresh spill, a 3km stretch of Mt Maunganui beach remains open for swimming.
Four of 16 containers located on the sea floor were recovered using divers and a crane ship yesterday.
- With Newstalk ZB/Fairfax
