An operation to remove oil from the stricken container ship Rena has been stopped after salvors found water instead of oil was being pumped from its tanks.
The vessel ran aground on the Astrolabe reef off the coast of Mount Maunganui on 5 October.
Maritime New Zealand says the pumping was halted at about 5am on Saturday.
Salvage unit manager Kenny Crawford says the salvors are investigating the problem.