A project to drill 1.3km into the South Island's giant Alpine Fault has been halted tantalisingly close to its final goal.
A team of scientists has had to stop drilling with the borehole at 893m, which they estimate was as little as 100m short of the fault itself.
GNS Science seismologist Dr Rupert Sutherland is at the drill site in Whataroa near Franz Josef.
"We have learnt a vast amount about the structure and hydrology of the upper zone of the fault and about drilling in this challenging environment. Despite pulling up early in terms of depth, we are really happy with the technical and scientific achievements of the project," said Dr Sutherland.
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