International salvage experts are on their way to Bluff in a bid to free the stranded bulk carrier Tai Ping amid growing fears of a fuel spill.
The Maritime Safety Authority is heading efforts to free the 16,000-tonne Hong Kong-owned ship from rocks opposite Morrison's Beach, halfway between the Tiwai wharf
and Bluff harbour entrance, where it ran aground at 4.30am yesterday. The grounding has closed the port to commercial shipping.
An Authority spokeswoman, Amanda Heath, said international salvors were expected to arrive at the ship this morning.
The authority's director, Russell Kilvington, said the authority was concerned about the risk of an oil spill.
In February this year the log carrier Jody F Millennium was stranded off Gisborne for 18 days leaking 40 tonnes of fuel oil, which fouled local beaches.
Although there had been no reports of oil leaking from the Tai Ping, the authority had declared a tier three response to the crisis, so it could plan for a major pollution response "should there be a significant oil spill from the vessel".
Any cleanup would be co-ordinated with Environment Southland and draw on national resources.
Despite the need to refloat the ship before any spill, Amanda Heath said the salvage operation could not begin "until we get a full and complete understanding of what the boat is doing, the damage, that sort of thing".
Mr Kilvington said: "While every high tide represents an opportunity, this must be balanced by a careful assessment of the risks to the vessel of doing so."
Another authority spokeswoman, Helen Mojel, said divers had found a hole in the port side hull caused when the Tai Ping hit rocks. She said the ship was stuck on the rocks and these could be seen from inside the hull.
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