AXG - Antipodes Gold [formerly GEL - Glass Earth]

[elZorro]

Thanks Aotea, trust you'll have a good Christmas too. I'm hoping to practise with the cicada lures in January up here, mid-late Feb sounds good

Re site visits to McAdies/Ophir etc, these are on private land, but I have put in a request and will wait to see what happens. I've been into a quarry before, and it usually involves a quick OSH training meeting, hardhats and high-vis vests. I still think a site tour(s) for shareholders at some stage would be a great idea, now the mining is up and running.

2009 has been a bit of a do-nothing year in Hamilton, with lots of promise but no action . I expect 2010 will be a lot better, and I'm looking forward to the GEL SP moving up to something sensible

Here's the story about our big GRU, L&M Mining have it for the meantime..

http://www.odt.co.nz/your-town/alexa...on-starts-week

Earnscleugh gold extraction starts this week
Home » News » Regions
By Rosie Manins on Wed, 4 Nov 2009
Your Town: Alexandra | The Regions: Central Otago
Click photo to enlarge

The 70-tonne plant L and M Mining Ltd is leasing for its mining operation at its Earnscleugh mine. Photo by Rosie Manins. L and M Mining Ltd is due to start extracting gold from Earnscleugh this week, following delays with its equipment.
The 70-tonne mine plant L and M is leasing had to be re-wired to comply with existing industry standards.

Initially, the company hoped to start mining for gold in late October.

Mine manager Mark Coleman, of Cromwell, said the plant should start operating in the next few days.

Physical work started on the site in June, and almost all initial major earthworks have been completed. About 40,000cu m of earth has been excavated and used to create bunds around the mine pit.

Once operating, the plant will float on water at the bottom of the mine pit, the depth of which will increase by another 8m. The plant will be winched into position and moved as mining progresses.

"The mine pit will stay relatively the same size, but it will slowly be moved through our projected course. Old mine spots will be filled in as we go."

One person will stay on the plant at all times, and a fulltime digger operator will also work on the site.

Mr Coleman said the plant would weigh about 90 tonnes and process 80cu m of raw material each hour when it was operational.

As mining developed, L and M might use a larger plant capable of processing 250cu m an hour.

"We have a plan of what we want to do, but some of the details will be determined as we go, depending on how the site responds, among other things." So far, seven staff, including Mr Coleman, have been working on the site.

More people are expected to be employed as the project intensifies.

L and M plans to extract more than 110,000 ounces of gold during the seven-year mining project.

It owns much of the land on the Earnscleugh flats, alongside the Fraser River.

- rosie.manins@odt.co.nz