Pike River Coal’s access tunnel now 80% completed

The latest drilling results on Pike River’s website said the tunnel reached 1,854 m on December 3 just 300 m away from the Hawera fault which is the eastern boundary of coal seam.

Pike River says in its report for the quarter to 30 September detailed planning is now well underway for the “pit bottom” areas located east and west of the Hawera fault. Excavations at the pit bottom will house the coal slurry sumps, pumps and supporting electrical installations as well as water dams.

Pike River has successfully completed three more boreholes drilled from the surface into the pit bottom areas, providing further information about conditions in the area. These holes verified Pike River’s geological model for the position of the fault, and for the location and orientation of the coal seam to the west of the fault.

Pike River will use its new $3.8 million roadheader mining machine to drive the final 150 m of the access tunnel through a barrier of coal which will not be mined on the west side of the fault. Mining proper will begin after the 2,300 m mark.

Two continuous miners, which together cost $9 million, are expected to be delivered to the mine in January 2008. These and the roadheader, construct tunnels in the coal seam to provide access for the high-pressure water cutting system, to be installed in the second year of mining.