WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Salvage teams on the cargo vessel Rena, stranded on a reef off the New Zealand coast, began pumping oil from fuel tanks, authorities said.
Bruce Anderson, a salvage unit manager for Rena, said nine workers on the vessel were getting oil out of the ship's fuel tanks after resetting pumping lines Thursday.
"This is an extremely involved and highly complex operation," he said in a statement.
As much as 2,000 barrels of oil leaked from the ship after it struck a reef in the Bay of Plenty. Rough seas have hampered much of the salvage operations as winds and waves pummel the stranded vessel.
Anderson didn't indicate how much oil was pumped out during the salvage operations.
Maritime New Zealand, the agency in charge of response operations, said some oil is accumulating "at natural collection points."
Anderson added that divers were able to get through a submerged corridor to examine seals in the starboard engine room.
Authorities had expressed concern that Rena might break apart, though salvage crews said there wasn't much change in the ship's position.
MNZ adds that 29 of the 88 cargo containers that fell from Rena can't be found.
