Takitimu

The Takitimu open cut coal mine is located in the Southland Region of New Zealand near the town of Nightcaps. The coal mined at the Takitimu mine is sub-bituminous and has been mined in the area, off and on, for more than 140 years. Most of the coal reserve in the Takitimu mine's open pit has now been recovered and rehabilitation is now well underway, however, the mine owner Bathurst Resources Limited, is currently extending operations into the adjacent Coaldale block that will give it the ability to produce a further two million tonnes of coal well into the future.
The extended operation will ensure work at the mine will continue and that local food processing plants, hospitals and schools, will contnue to receive their energy needs at a local level as has been the case in the past.

Bathurst Resorces Limited Acquired the Takitimu Mine in 2011
Bathurst Resources Limited acquired the ownership of the Takitimu mine when it purchased the assets of Eastern Resources Group in 2011. The Takitimu mine today produces about 200,000 tonnes of sub-bituminous, low ash coal a year. It is an important supplier of coal that rails its produce a distance of 480 kilometres to its customers in South Canterbury, Otago and Southland Regions of the country. The coal is transported by truck to customers in closer proximity. There are 45 employees employed at the mine either working directly for Bathurst Resources Limited or its contractors.

A 500 Tonne Trainload of Coal Leaves the Takitimu Mine Each day
A 500 tonne train load of coal leaves the Takitimu mine each day during the peak period of the dairy season. It takes around two hours to load the 20 tonne HLC containers on the back of trucks at the Takitimu coal processing plant. The trucks take the containers about 500 metres to the rail loadout area where the containers are loaded by a Clark forklift directly onto the flat top railway wagons. The open top containers are covered when full and ready for transportation.

Takitimu Mine Coal Testing now Done on Site
There is also a coal testing laboratory at the Takitimu mine that is operated in partnership wuth SGS Minerals, a company that had previously carried out external coal testing facilities for the mine. Testing is now completed on site to ensure the required standard is met, whereas, in the past, samples have been sent to Wellington for analysis.

Coaldale Block Extension Began in 2012
Development of the Takitimu mine Coaldale block extension began in the first half of 2012. Part of the development required land adjacent to the mine to be purchased. The close proximity of this land has allowed the extension to be carried out at minimum cost as full use can be made of existing Takitimu mine infrastructure. Bathurst Resources Limited is acquiring the New Brighton Exploration Permit which is also close to the Takitimu mine. This permit contains a considerable coal resource that has been reliably estimated to have the potential to extend the life of the Takitimu mine for more than 30 years.

The Takitimu open cut coal mining operation produces an average of between 500 and 700 tonnes of coal a day with the use of a Hitachi 350 excavator with a one tonne coal bucket that loads an Iveco coal truck with a capacity to carry a load of 25 tonnes. The mine also uses a Liebherr 994 excavator with a 15 to 25 tonne overburden bucket and a 100 tonne capacity Komatsu 785 truck.
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