Coal Production
The main Brunner seam holds the largest known deposit of hard coking coal in New Zealand with an inground resource of 58.5 million tonnes.
To protect the surface of the Paparoa Ranges from adverse effects, just 18 million tonnes is currently scheduled to be mined, leaving coal in the ground in columns between mined areas to limit subsidence at the surface.
If it can be shown to the satisfaction of the Department of Conservation, that mining is not causing adverse effects, further recoveries of the inground coal resource are expected.
Production will rise to one million tonnes a year during the first half of 2011.
About 200 metres beneath the Brunner seam lie the Paparoa seams of quality hard coking coal. They offer considerable resource potential, possibly as much as eight million tonnes, depending on results of further test drilling.
Click here for more information on the exploration of the Paparoa seams.