Longwall recovery operations at Oaky North may allow the mine to recommence production earlier than anticipated. ILN understands recovery activities are on track to enable full installation of the longwall early in March.
A dragline is being used at the mine, near Tieri in central Queensland, to dig out longwall equipment buried when floor and roof conditions deteriorated badly in the third quarter of 1999. MIM said the longwall would be relocated further into the block mined previously, in an area undisturbed by the monocline structure which caused the earlier problems.
MIM said previously it hoped to have the longwall up and running again by April.
