New era dawns for Avondale pitBy PAUL McINERNEYMay 26,...

New era dawns for Avondale pit
By PAUL McINERNEY
May 26, 2006

AVONDALE Colliery was given a new lease of life yesterday after mining crews broke through 20m of concrete and fill, which had sealed its portal for more than 20 years.

"It's just like opening a time capsule, you don't know what might be found," Gujarat NRE managing director Rajendra
Sahay said moments after the first investigation team emerged from underground.

What the six-man team found was a pit largely intact and in good enough shape for the Indian coking coal producer to go ahead with the next phase of a three-year plan that could see the colliery producing up to 1.5million tonnes a year.

"Today, the roof didn't cave in or waters come flooding out, and after 20 years that's a milestone in itself," Mr Sahay said.