Payouts will be made to the contracting companies that employed the men who died in the massive explosions at the Pike River coal mine, receivers announced today.

NZ has just one inspector to oversee safety in its oil exploration industry.

A 20-tonne nitrogen generator is now pumping nitrogren into the Pike River Mine.

Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn is calling for Pike River to be made into an opencast coal mine, amid efforts to keep the 114 skilled miners made redundant today on the West Coast.

Many suppliers may never be paid back for giving to the recovery operation at Pike River Coal mine, the Grey District Mayor says.

Receivers for Pike River Coal are making 114 of its employees redundant immediately.

Herald deputy business editor Grant Bradley, who has visited the Pike River mine and covered the company for the Business Herald, on why today's receivership move by Pike River was inevitable.

Pike River Coal Ltd, the owner of Pike River mine, has been put into receivership.

The Warriors and Newcastle Knights will play a charity match in Greymouth to raise funds - and spirits - on the West Coast.

State-owned coal miner Solid Energy's plans to turn low-grade Southland lignite coal deposits into massive new industries make no sense and the coal should remain in the ground, says the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.

The fire which has been raging for days at the Pike River Coal mine is definitely out, say Australians brought in to operate the GAG jet unit which has been pumping carbon dioxide into the mine.

Pike River Coal will have to reduce its workforce when it is ready to re-establish operations, but CEO Peter Whittall says reports of possible receivership were "extremely premature".

An operation has begun to extinguish the fire coming from the vent shaft of the Pike River mine and cool the surrounding concrete pad, using water pumped up from a nearby creek.