A new, larger pump installed has sped up the removal of oil from the stricken container ship Rena.
Salvors
stopped pumping oil for a few hours on Sunday night while the new pump
with a six-inch (15.2 centimetres) hose was set up, Maritime New Zealand
spokeswoman Sophie Hazelhurst told NZ Newswire.
The oil pumping resumed about 11pm once the system was in place, she said.
The
new system with a hose twice the size of the previous one still pumped
oil at a relatively slow rate - but it was faster than it had been, she
said.
The amount of oil that had been pumped from the port No.5 tank by 3pm on Monday was 481 tonnes, she said.
"It's a very pleasing result."
The Rena originally held 1700 tonnes when it crashed into the Astrolabe Reef on October 5.
About 350 tonnes has leaked into the ocean so far, killing hundreds of birds and wildlife and coating beaches.
No more oil has leaked on Monday. The oil spilled on Saturday night was staying around the Rena.
Conditions
have been favourable for salvors on Monday with a 15-knot wind and
slight seas, and the marine forecast has more of the same until at least
Thursday.
NZN