Mining boss worries about his missing friends

Peter Whittall is based in Wellington but goes back to the mine every week and knows most of the missing men well. Photo / Greg Bowker

Pike River Coal chief Peter Whittall was worried last night about the fate of the miners still underground, but he wasn't showing it.

Mr Whittall, who managed the mine for five years until this year, was calm as the drama unfolded.

But he was also thinking of the men he had yet to hear from, stuck 2km to 2.5km deep in the mine.

"I'm intimately aware of the employees, some of their families directly as well, and certainly the community where I've lived for the last five years.

"Before I took on the [CEO] role, I was the general manager of this mine and had lived in Greymouth with my family before moving to Wellington earlier this year.

"And I go back to the Grey District and the mine site every week for a couple of days a week, so I'm still intimately involved in the area."

Mr Whittall, who has been a coal miner for 30 years, said he still had responsibilities to take care of in Wellington, but he wanted to make his way to the mine site as soon as he could, which will probably be today.

But he knew the situation was in good hands.

"The general manager [Doug White] who runs the mine is an extremely experienced man.

"He's been with the mine most of this year, but before that he was the Deputy Chief Inspector of mines in Queensland, and is extremely experienced in mines rescue and managing incidents of this type.

"So I am more than confident in the management team that is on site. The management at the mine site at the time would have comprised senior experienced miners.

"They would have had several deputies and section leaders and also an acting shift co-ordinator on site at the time and underground.

"When the incident occurred nearly all of the senior management team were at the mine site because it was still in work hours on Friday afternoon."

The rescue team had been briefed and was preparing to go underground at 7pm yesterday.

Mr Whittall was hopeful of a good outcome.

When he was the mine's manager, Mr Whittall was responsible for on-site construction, mine development and recruitment of the new workforce.

He was made chief executive officer last month.