Media Release

Inadvertent spillage of coal fines at Spring Creek Underground Mine

21/01/08

The commissioning of a new piece of equipment at Spring Creek Underground Mine, near Greymouth, resulted in the inadvertent spillage of coal fines into Seven Mile Creek overnight last Wednesday (16-17 January).

The West Coast Regional Council has been informed of the event.  Waterborne coal fines flowed down a hillside, from near the mine portal, for several minutes before the screen generating them was stopped.  

The Spring Creek joint venture mine at Runanga, operated by Solid Energy New Zealand Ltd, has recently completed a major redevelopment, with mining resuming just before Christmas.  The source of the spill is a screen, a new piece of equipment designed to process coal particles with a diameter of less than 3mm.  Carried from the mine as slurry, this fine coal enters the surface screen where coal particles less than 1mm in diameter are separated and pumped on to a specialised area of the coal washery at Rocky Creek. 

“The tolerances in this kind of screen are very fine and the commissioning will continue to ensure that it operates as per expectation,” says Simon Doig, Solid Energy’s General Manager South Island Operations.  “Until then the screen will be under constant supervision and a bund created to catch any spillage.” 

Spring Creek Underground Mine is jointly owned by Solid Energy and Cargill.  Following the 14-month, $25 million redevelopment the mine now has access to more than 3 million tonnes of new coal – sufficient for about four years of production – and planning is under way on a 20-year mine plan.