BRUNNER COLLIERIES.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18680, 1 May 1926, Page 16

BRUNNER COLLIERIES.

MANAGEMENT CONGRATULATED. At a meeting of directors of the Brunner Collieries, Ltd., held at Greymouth, great satisfaction was expressed by the shareholders at the welcome news of the unwatering of the Wallsend mine. The management was warmly congratulated upon the successful accomplishment of the most extensiVe de-water-ing operation ever carried out in the Southern Hemisphere, and presenting unprecented difficulties. It is 35 years since this mine was closed owing to the slackness of the coal trade. The work of unwatering hag long been desired and talked of, as tho coal in the mine is recognised as being the best in New Zealand for steam and gas purposes. The seam of coal exposed by the unwatering operations is 16 to 18 feet thick. The development work already carried out proves the existence of over two million tons of coal, whilst boring operations conducted during the last two years have disclosed the existence of a further three million tons under the Wallsend and Taylorville freehold, held by the company, making one of the largest, if not the largest, proved bituminous coalfields in the Dominion. The management reported that the water now draining into the mines amounted to only 200 gallons per minute, of which at least 75 gallons comes from the surface. The electrical punip being installed by the company has a capacity of 600 gallons per minute. The opening of this mine will undoubtedly assist the development of the West Coast, and will provide a supply of coal to meet the Dominion's demands for railway and gasproducing purposes without importations, as the present workings are capable of producing an output of over 500 tons a day.