New Zealand's Francis Mining and Switzerland's Coaltrac have reached a joint venture agreement to form ROA Mining to further develop a mine on the West coast of the country's South Island.
Against a history of mine closures and other difficulties in New Zealand, it looks as if - with European investment - a private miner will penetrate the international coal market. Francis Mining has a long-standing history of coal mining in NZ, operating several different mines in both Southland and the West Coast. Coaltrac's Luc Bohyn has been actively marketing NZ coals for about 10 years and recognised the opportunity for "excellent long-term prospects for the unique characteristics of ROA coal". The ROA coal is described as a highly reactive, low volatile matter, low ash, low sulphur, hard coking coal that mainly suits specialist coal and carbon consumers such as activated carbon and foundry coke producers. Increased production, currently being developed, will involve 20 jobs in addition to the 22 directly employed....
Read this item in full
Approx 180 words from CoalTrans International, September 2001,
page 7.
