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During the year, access facilities to the isolated Mount Davy block, near Rewanui, were being constructed, and, whilst very slow progress was made, drilling should commence early in the New Year. Because of the hazardous nature of the work and the lack of communication Avith the men employed on the area, radio-telephone communication was installed between the base camp and the Greymouth office and helped considerably when dispatching equipment to the area. Details of the drilling programme are as follows : Stockton Area.—At the latter end of the year two drills were placed on this area to do both general prospecting-work and drilling for opencast areas. One drill was employed for a short period drilling experimental holes for shooting on an opencast area with remarkably good results. Before the general prospecting on the area adjoining Webb Mine was commenced, 1,766 ft. of shot-holes were drilled. To the end of the year, bores B.C. 501 (197 ft.), B.C. 502 (68 ft.), B.C. 503 (118 ft.), and B.C. 504 (111 ft., not completed) were drilled, making a total of 2,260 ft. for both shot-holes and prospecting. Brunner. —Bore 289 was completed to a depth of 1,988 ft. during the year. This bore was the third of a series in the area, and the results were such that it was decided not to proceed with drilling in this locality. Smoko Area, Blackball. —Seven bores, numbered 296 to 302 inclusive, were drilled on this area with hand equipment, and, whilst coal was penetrated in some bores, the area was considered unsuitable for opencast working. A total of 234 ft. was drilled. Fisher and Party, Dunollie.—Bore 291 was drilled to a depth of 605 ft. This was the last of a series of bores endeavouring to locate an area suitable for co-operative-party working, but the results were generally disappointing, not proving a sufficiently large block of coal to justify development. Strongman Colliery.—Underground drilling was carried out in this coal-mine for the greater part of the year, and six bores, numbered 292 (141 ft.), 294 (87 ft.), 295 (91 ft.), 303 (150 ft.), 304 (133 ft.), and 304 a (153 ft.), were drilled from various parts of the workings either to prove upper and lower seams or fault throws. Dobson Colliery.- —Two bores, numbered 292 (30 ft.) and 293 (35 ft.), were drilled in this colliery to determine the throw on a fault encountered during coal-development. Harrison and Party.—Two bores, numbered 305 (115 ft.) and 306 (65 ft., incomplete), were drilled in this party's mine to determine coal thickness in an upper seam believed to exist. Wangaloa.—During the year a bore at Wangaloa was drilled to a depth of 834 ft., and is still proceeding, to prove whether or not the Kaitangata Series is coal-bearing in this locality. Drilling progress has been extremely slow because of the nature of the Taratu Series overlying the Kaitangata. While drilling, the bore-hole caved in and the drilling-tools were stuck, but after much difficulty they were recovered. Morley Area, OJiai.—Bore 14 of the series drilled on this area, which stood at 994 ft. at the beginning of the year, was drilled to and completed at 1,223 ft. This area is very encouraging and calculations of coal tonnages in the area are being made preparatory to opening up and development. Further bores may be required at a later date to determine accurately the throw on faulting revealed through the drilling results. Mossbank, Ohai.—One bore, No. 12, was drilled to 343 ft. with the object of proving whether or not the New Brighton seam existed under this colliery, but owing to extremely slow and bad drilling-conditions this bore was stopped at the depth stated.

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