Rena Salvors Start Cutting Out Bow Internals

US salvage company Resolve has taken over the salvage contract of the wreck on the Astrolabe Reef, New Zealand.

The salvors have started cutting up internal sections of the bow of the container ship which ran on to the Astrolabe reef off Tauranga in October last year and broke in two during a storm in January, reports 'ninemsn' online.

A spokesman, Steve Fisher, told AAP preparatory work had begun on cutting up the internal bow sections with a view to removing scrap next week.

Meanwhile, the ship's insurer, The Swedish Club, was conducting studies on whether the bow should be removed entirely or levelled to below the water line.

The stern section of the Rena is lying on a slope at a depth of up to 65 metres, while part of the ship's navigation bridge is 10m below the surface.

Project head Captain John Owen said the studies - expected to take two months - would be shared with the community so an informed decision could be made. They would look at environmental, cultural, safety, recreation, tourism and community health aspects.