Calm weather over the past 24 hours has allowed salvors to continue their pumping efforts from the Rena, bringing the total taken off the stranded ship to 256 tonnes.
The current work has been aimed at pumping fuel from a tank on the vessel's port side, which contained 772 tonnes of oil.
Maritime New Zealand Salvage Unit Manager Bruce Anderson has confirmed this afternoon that a total of 256 tonnes of oil has been removed since the operations began.
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"The flow is still slow but at least we are seeing a continuous pumping operation - this was the first priority for the team and that has been maintained," Anderson said.
"The focus for today will be to get more salvors on board and work on speeding up the flow rate."
Anderson said oil is continuing to be pumped onto the Awanuia, but a large tug vessel had been sent as a backup.
He said the boat will stay fairly steady regardless of the weather, so oil pumping can continue even if the sea gets rough.
No change in Rena's position
Salvage expert John Walker said the position of the ship has not changed in the last 24 hours.
More than 171 tonnes of oil was pumped off the ship yesterday, and it is believed more than 1000 tonnes of oil remains to be removed.
The ship has been grounded off the coast of Tauranga for more than a fortnight, spilling 350 tonnes of oil and 88 containers into the sea.
Salvors have also been looking at how to gain access to the flooded starboard side where 350 tonnes of oil is held.
The good weather is expected to continue for a few days.
Summer fast approaching
Clean up operations have continued at five main points along about 30km of the Bay of Plenty coastline, with the remotest at Waihau Bay, about 200km from Tauranga.
The volunteers at Papamoa Beach are back to work cleaning oil off the beach after a tsunami warning was lifted following a really massive earthquake at the Kermadecs this morning.
"It's quite stressful knowing what could happen and what has happened," one worker told ONE News.
The aim now is to speed things up as frustrated beachgoers sense summer just around the corner
But there is still a long way to go.
The Mount Maunganui beach from the base track through to Tay Street is now open for public access and there have been no fresh leaks of oil.
However, beach goers are reminded not to enter the water.
Clean up teams will continue to monitor the situation.
Wildlife teams are also out on the East Cape, with a total of 285 live birds are being cared for at the Wildlife Response Centre in Te Maunga.
Special enclosures have been built to house the blue penguins affected by the spill before they are put back in the sea.
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