13th macrh rooster booster or feather duster d, page-11

It is a real worry that the company continued to say mining would start when all along the department said it wouldn't and would be another 8 months before they capitulated. Now appliation is being looked at for 2 panels to get longwall started and they release report at end of day after market when they will have known no start for a fair while?

The way these guys communicate is not quite right




http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/gujarat-forced-to-push-back-longwall-start/2487264.aspx

Gujarat forced to push back longwall start
BEVAN SHIELDS
14 Mar, 2012 04:00 AM
Gujarat NRE Coking Coal missed its target date yesterday to secure approval to fire up expensive longwall mining equipment at its Russell Vale colliery.
The company made a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange last month reporting its intention to cut coal from an underground panel as of yesterday.

However, the target was not met because approval of a crucial Subsidence Management Plan (SMP) had still not been obtained.

The Department of Primary Industries must sign off on the SMP before $90 million worth of equipment, formally ‘‘blessed’’ yesterday, can be used.

The company is racing against the clock to secure approval, which it had previously estimated would come by January.

In a fresh statement lodged with the stock exchange at the close of trading yesterday, Gujarat said the machine should be in use by the end of March.

‘‘The company believes that the final approval to allow production off (sic) the longwall is imminent following discussions with the essential government agencies,’’ the statement said.

‘‘This level of co-operation provided by the Government is appreciated and has been focused on ensuring all key issues relating to the longwall operations are fully considered.’’

Gujarat’s SMP application has been under consideration since September last year.

Executive chairman Arun Jagatramka has said it would allow longwall mining in two panels while the Department of Planning and Infrastructure assesses a separate application to mine a further 20 panels.

A Department of Primary Industries spokeswoman said a decision on the SMP would be made in the ‘‘near future’’.

‘‘The department is assessing the information provided by Gujarat [and] once assessed, approval conditions can then be considered,’’ she said.

The Department of Planning and Infrastructure had previously said longwall mining should only occur once it had granted approval for the bigger expansion, which is not expected until the end of the year.

The department last week changed its position and revealed it may be possible for work to begin in the two panels, provided the SMP was approved.

Shares in Gujarat closed at 17.5 cents yesterday.