Kōrero: Mining and underground resources

Opencast coal mine, Buller Coalfield

Opencast coal mine, Buller Coalfield

Near Stockton in the Buller Coalfield, high-rank coal occurs in a seam about 30 metres thick. It is covered by up to 50 metres of hard sandstone. This needs to be stripped away by heavy earth-moving machinery before the coal can be mined.

This seam was originally worked by underground mining. At best only 3 to 4 metres of coal can be recovered by underground mining, so the rest was left in the ground. The entire thickness of the coal seam can now be mined by modern opencast methods.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Private collection
Photograph by Simon Nathan

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Te tuhi tohutoro mō tēnei whārangi:

Simon Nathan, 'Mining and underground resources - History of mining', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/mi/photograph/9238/opencast-coal-mine-buller-coalfield (accessed 29 March 2024)

He kōrero nā Simon Nathan, i tāngia i te 12 Jun 2006