The Mine
Breakthrough to Coal
Pike River broke through to coal on 17 October 2008 when a 2.3 kilometre tunnel intersected the Brunner seam of premium hard coking coal. The Brunner coal deposit runs six kilometres north-south and up to one-half kilometres east-west, and averages about 7 metres in thickness.
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| Miners working at coal face |
The seam holds the largest-known deposit of hard coking coal in New Zealand, with 58.5 million tonnes of coal in-ground. Sales markets have been secured in Japan and India, India being the destination of Pike River's first export shipment (20,000 tonnes) of hard coking coal, which the company celebrated in February 2010.
Pike River coal is sought after because of its special qualities including the world's lowest ash content for a coking coal, meaning more energy and less waste in the coke making process.
The mine is forecast to hit its 'steady state' rate of approximately one million tonnes a year in the first half of 2011, and maintain that production rate during its 18+ year mine life. There is potential to recover several million tonnes more coal from the Brunner seam and upside potential in the deeper Paparoa seams.