Full ventilation restored at coal mine

Ventilation is fully restored to the Pike River Coal Ltd mine on the West Coast.

The main 108m air shaft was completed in January 2009 but was blocked by a rock fall at its lower level before reinforcing bolt-and-mesh had reached down that far.

Chief executive Gordon Ward said a bypass of the blockage was completed on time and within budget over the weekend. The shaft top fan was able to start exhausting air up the shaft.

Heavy coal cutting machines are now working to build coal production.

Ward said Pike River Coal expected to send its first export shipment of 60,000 tonnes to Japan in the July-September quarter of this year.

The mine is expected to reach its full production rate in the final October-December quarter of this year when roadways in the coal seam have been opened up by the heavy cutting machines to provide access for high pressure water cannons to start blasting coal out of the seam at the rate of up to 2000 tonnes a day.

- NZPA