Lime And Marble To Explore For Gold

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31982, 8 May 1969, Page 19

Lime And Marble To Explore For Gold

Lime and Marble, Ltd, Mapua, in assiciation with the American Smelting and Fefining Company, is planning a greatly expanded exploration programme throughout New Zealand, according to Mr T. J. McKee, managing director of Lime and Marble.

The American company will provide specialist technical assistance and give financial support to the programme. Mr McKee said that it was many years since gold mining had flourished and that it was now thought worth while to re-examine the prospects in the light of modern mining. Dr T. A. Cole, an American authority on the recta ma-

tion and rehabilitation of land as it affects the mining industry, has bepn engaged in a consulting capacity by the American company to survey the gold-bearing regions of the South Island. Dr Cole said that the purpose of his visit and field work was to assess the feasibility, of reclamation and rerehabilitation of gold-bearing

land while it was being mined.

He said that the mining companies knew that if they mined they would have to rehabilitate the surface in some usable form so that it would be better than it was before, or at least so that it would be no worse. Dr Cole said the cost of rehabilitation would have to be built into the cost of the project and if it were not economic to mine and rehabilitate, then there would be no mining. Lime and Marble hoids a 25 per cent interest in Tasman petroleum.