Work resumes at Spring Creek mine

Solid Energy's Spring Creek mine on the West Coast. Photo / Greymouth Star

Solid Energy has begun a staged resumption of general underground operations at its Spring Creek Mine, and is bringing in Australian experts to help.

The Department of Labour's new chief mines inspector shut the Dunollie mine on February 20 because of concerns with three safety failures, but lifted the prohibition notice about two days later.

Solid Energy chief operating officer Barry Bragg has been meeting staff in Runanga this week, announcing management changes to help it meet the new, higher health and safety standards.

Work underground resumed only today.

The current mine manager Greg Duncan has been seconded to focus on health and safety systems, and Craig Smith will take over as site manager. Kevin Pattinson takes on the statutory mine manager role, and environmental manager Mark Pizey will fill the health and safety role until a permanent appointment is made.

Australians are also being brought in to work with the mine managers and staff, and corporate health and safety staff from Solid Energy's head office, in Christchurch.

Mr Bragg said today follow-up actions from the investigations were now under way.

"A partial resumption of underground mining operations has begun today with on-the-job training in the changes to our work procedures and checking for compliance with those procedures.

"We will resume full production once we are satisfied the changes are effective. That is likely to be towards the end of this month.''

The company expects that when full-scale extraction resumes later in 2012, this new resource block will safely deliver about 2.2 million tonnes of high-value coal over three years.

Since Solid Energy announced the withdrawal of its 49% shareholder Cargill in the Spring Creek alliance, it had received queries from the market place and remained "open minded'' about other investors in the mine.