Crews again halt oil pumping from New Zealand ship (AP)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand ? Crews have again halted attempts to pump oil from a stricken ship off the New Zealand coast as the weather worsens.

Salvage crews managed to remove about 100 tons of oil from the vessel Rena over about 29 hours before deciding late Monday that conditions were too dangerous to continue. Crews managed to remove about 11 tons in a previous attempt.

The Greek-owned ship, which became grounded on the Astrolabe reef near Tauranga on Oct. 5, was being battered by swells of up to 13 feet (4 meters) Tuesday. Experts and officials are bracing for the cargo ship to fall apart or sink at any time.

An estimated 1,400 tons of oil remains on board, while about 350 tons has already leaked into the sea near the coast, leading officials to describe it as the country's worst maritime environmental disaster.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/energy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111017/ap_on_re_as/as_new_zealand_grounded_ship

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