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The New Zealand company has spent NZ$30 million on development and infrastructure over the past 18 months.
Development activity carried out with roadheaders and continuous miners has yielded 10,000 tonnes a month, but this will be increased seven-fold when full production gets underway.
The mine, near Greymouth in the South island, is the replacement for Solid Energy's Strongman 2 mine, which closed in August 2003. The method of hydraulic mining was used at Strongman to produce around 400,000 tpa. It is a method best suited to thick and steeply dipping seams.
Spring Creek has been touted as a specialised blending coal producer with low cost structures. However, it has faced difficult transport challenges and has opted for sea-bound transport, taking advantage of local ports.
Hydraulic mining utilises energy, in the form of large quantities of water, piped to a hydro monitor at the coal face. Production is roughly 4 tonne/minute, or somewhere between a continuous miner and a longwall.
Operating costs for hydro-extraction are approximately equivalent to a longwall. Hydraulic mining is not of course an alternative method to longwalling but it does offer distinct advantages. Properly run hydro mining is virtually continuous with changeouts to the next block rapid and easy.
