Lyttelton Port of Christchurch will start handling fuel and essential supplies on Saturday.
The port has been closed since the magnitude 6.3 earthquake on Tuesday, as has the tunnel which connects the port to battered Christchurch.
The port said engineers had been checking its facilities and there would be final
checks tomorrow.
It expected to unload a first container ship on Saturday, the day which it should also be able to start receiving fuel tankers.
"We are working with Transit NZ to ensure that the tunnel road is operational and KiwiRail have indicated they will be operational from Saturday.
"We are aiming for receival and delivery services to be operational on Monday," the port said.
Commenting on general cargo ships, the port said it would accept the Transfuture Seven, which is bringing in emergency vehicles and palleted water supplies on Saturday.
On Sunday, the Spirit of Resolution will be bringing in general supplies and on Monday the Antwerp will bring in bananas.
Greenstone Energy said this week it had diverted a fuel tanker to PrimePort Timaru. PrimePort Timaru said today it had been handling ships, including container vessels that would usually call at Lyttelton and KiwiRail was able to get the goods to its Middleton railyard in south Christchurch.
Lyttleton Port of Christchurch had earlier said the seabed at the port shifted slightly after Tuesday's devastating earthquake, but not enough to stop vital supplies from coming into port.
Chief executive Peter Davie told NZPA today the navy had carried out an extensive survey of the seabed and found one place where it had moved, but it was not a "significant issue".
That meant that fuel and food supplies would be able to landed at the port by the weekend.
Mr Davie said that the navy would also be testing the piles on the wharf while work on the wharves damaged in the quake had begun.
He said getting the wharf completely fixed was a long process, but it was "bent but not broken". It was hoped that the port would be fully operational within 10 days.
While the focus is on getting imports to Christchurch the port also handles large amounts of exports for coal miner Solid Energy and dairy co-operative Fonterra. Solid Energy is currently stockpiling coal at its West Coast mines.
- NZPA
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