New Reefton opencast mine helps ensure supply

28 October 2011

New Reefton opencast mine helps ensure supply for Solid Energy South Island customers

Solid Energy is developing a small opencast mine near Reefton which will begin supplying coal to the company’s industrial customers on the West Coast and upper South Island in early 2012.

Contractor Doug Hood Mining Ltd has been named as preferred contractor for the Reddale Mine and expects to start mobilisation as soon as the contract is finalised. It is estimated the standard truck-and-shovel opencast mining operation will provide at least six new jobs.

Reddale Mine, being developed in a valley north-east of the Reefton township, will produce a total of about 140,000 tonnes of coal over two to three years.

Stephen Esposito, Solid Energy’s recently appointed General Manager Opencast Operations, says Reddale production will mean continuity of supply to Solid Energy’s customers. Reefton coal has long been valued for boilers because of its high reactivity and appropriate energy and ash.

The Reddale site is an area which has been mined in the past and those older, mine-affected areas will be progressively remediated over the life of the mine. All mining and remedial works are expected to be completed within five years.

General Manager Opencast Operations, Stephen Esposito, is responsible for all the company’s opencast mining and represents Solid Energy on Stockton Alliance, the joint venture with Downer EDI Mining (NZ) Ltd. Stephen first joined Solid Energy as Director of Strategy and Risk. He has a Masters Degree in Civil Engineering from Canada’s University of Waterloo.

ENDS

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