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Solid Energy begins drilling programme in Eastern Southland
4 April 2007 - Solid Energy says it has begun a six-month exploratory drilling programme in Eastern Southland to further define its coal resource in the area.
The drilling was to start near the site of the former Mataura opencast lignite mine, extending to the north and west.
Drilling will also be undertaken in the Croydon area to the north of Mataura coalfield, as well as south of Mataura. The drilling will generally be undertaken on land the company owns and with the permission of landowners on land the company does not own.
The Mataura lignite field is the largest in New Zealand with an estimated in ground resource of about 2.1 billion tonnes, substantially larger than the other large lignite fields in Southland such as Ashers-Waituna and Morton Mains. The Mataura field contains 10 seams with maximum thicknesses between 0.9 and 16 metres.
Solid Energy says that up to five drill rigs will be in operation at any one time. At least three will be dedicated to resource definition and one to geotechnical and groundwater studies.
Solid Energy says it currently has access to more than 600 million tonnes of coal, mostly lignite, in the Southland area through its permits at Ohai (sub-bituminous), New Vale (in the Waimumu lignite field about 10-15 kilometres west of
Mataura) and Mataura, and through an active programme of land acquisition over the last 18 months.
Barry Bragg, Solid Energy's chief operating officer, says:
“Over recent months Solid Energy has been actively investigating how it might best use our huge lignite resources in Southland. Our work is looking at a range of options including increased use of lignites by industrial markets, electricity generation, transport fuels, petrochemicals and other products.
“As part of this we need to know a lot more about the resource and its properties. This drilling programme is the first step in helping to answer many of the questions we've got about how we might best develop lignite mining in the area,” Mr Bragg says.
“This will be a fairly lengthy process and we are committed to keeping people informed about our plans as they develop.”
“Until the end of last year we were looking at reopening the former Mataura opencast mine to serve South Island industrial markets, but we have reassessed this since purchasing New Vale Coal Co in December,” Mr Bragg says.
New Vale currently produces for local industry and Fonterra's Edendale dairy factory, 15 kilometres south of Mataura, and has the potential to expand for other South Island markets. Solid Energy says it plans to carry out resource definition drilling at New Vale later in the year.
Source: Solid Energy.
Drilling will also be undertaken in the Croydon area to the north of Mataura coalfield, as well as south of Mataura. The drilling will generally be undertaken on land the company owns and with the permission of landowners on land the company does not own.
The Mataura lignite field is the largest in New Zealand with an estimated in ground resource of about 2.1 billion tonnes, substantially larger than the other large lignite fields in Southland such as Ashers-Waituna and Morton Mains. The Mataura field contains 10 seams with maximum thicknesses between 0.9 and 16 metres.
Solid Energy says that up to five drill rigs will be in operation at any one time. At least three will be dedicated to resource definition and one to geotechnical and groundwater studies.
Solid Energy says it currently has access to more than 600 million tonnes of coal, mostly lignite, in the Southland area through its permits at Ohai (sub-bituminous), New Vale (in the Waimumu lignite field about 10-15 kilometres west of
Mataura) and Mataura, and through an active programme of land acquisition over the last 18 months.
Barry Bragg, Solid Energy's chief operating officer, says:
“Over recent months Solid Energy has been actively investigating how it might best use our huge lignite resources in Southland. Our work is looking at a range of options including increased use of lignites by industrial markets, electricity generation, transport fuels, petrochemicals and other products.
“As part of this we need to know a lot more about the resource and its properties. This drilling programme is the first step in helping to answer many of the questions we've got about how we might best develop lignite mining in the area,” Mr Bragg says.
“This will be a fairly lengthy process and we are committed to keeping people informed about our plans as they develop.”
“Until the end of last year we were looking at reopening the former Mataura opencast mine to serve South Island industrial markets, but we have reassessed this since purchasing New Vale Coal Co in December,” Mr Bragg says.
New Vale currently produces for local industry and Fonterra's Edendale dairy factory, 15 kilometres south of Mataura, and has the potential to expand for other South Island markets. Solid Energy says it plans to carry out resource definition drilling at New Vale later in the year.
Source: Solid Energy.
