Mine management said these problems "could not have been detected or predicted from the core drilling and geological evaluations" before construction began.
Among the problems are an excessive influx of water and two extremely hard igneous dykes that must be blasted with explosives rather than cut through with machines. In certain areas roof instability is preventing the installation of permanent supports.
The mine was intended to be a replacement for declining production from the company’s nearby 7.5 million ton per annum Galatia operation. A shaft was sunk into the new reserves to extend the life of the mine, which started mid 2000.
Company president Robert E. Murray said meanwhile the notices do not necessarily mean any miners at Galatia will lose their jobs.
"It is our intent to exhaust every possible effort to avoid the laying off of people at the Galatia Mine," he said.
