Pike River's Continuous Mining Machine Arrives
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Pike River Coal Limited (PRC) | 1:15 pm, Thursday 28 August 2008 | PRC | 0.970 |
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PIKE RIVER'S (PRC) CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE ARRIVES
Pike River Coal Limited is gearing up for coal production with the delivery
to New Zealand of the first of two continuous mining machines, costing in
excess of $5 million each.
The first continuous miner, custom made for cutting access roads through
coal, arrives in Nelson tonight by ship from Australia and is due for
delivery to the Pike River mine site next week.
"Delivery of the 74 tonne continuous miner within budget and ready for coal
mining is the culmination of a two year exercise" says Pike River's chief
executive Gordon Ward.
The continuous miners will be introduced into the underground mine over
coming months to operate in conjunction with Pike River's existing $4.2
million roadheader cutting machine. The roadheader, which can cut rock as
well as coal, is already commissioned and ready to commence pit-bottom
construction west of the Hawera fault, once the tunnel intersects the coal
seam.
When pit-bottom is completed, all three machines will be used to cut roads in
the coal deposit providing access for the hydro-monitor equipment, which uses
high pressure water to cut coal.
The second continuous miner is due to arrive in New Zealand in October 2008.
The Pike River mine is expected to produce 200,000 tonnes of coal by 30 June
2009 and then an average of 1 million tonnes per annum for the life of mine.
