Cascade mine has a long history of operating in the Buller Coalfield with the operations commencing nearly 100 years ago.
Over the last decide, Cascade mine produced semi-soft coking coal for local New Zealand cement manufacturers. But in late 2015 with the imminent closure of the local cement plant we decided the remaining accessible coal in Cascade was uneconomic to recover due this lost market.
So in November 2015 the mine was placed into care and maintenance but we’re optimistic that we’ll reopen once other market opportunities are tested.
In addition to coal, the site holds a granite resource which is not abundant at the nearby Escarpment mine. This is therefore a valuable resource to use for infrastructure such as roads at Escarpment mine.
Site offices and buildings have been relocated and the site has been re-contoured, spread with topsoil and planted with native species. Environmental compliance monitoring is ongoing to ensure that we continue to meet the conditions of our consent.
Mine information
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- Ownership
- 100% BRL
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- Location
- Denniston Plateau 25 km east of Westport
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- License/Permit
- MP 41455
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- Coal types
- Coking, Bituminous
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- Life of mine
- Depends on market
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- Coal Reserves
- 1.0 Mt
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- Coal Resources
- 1.5 Mt