BHP closes parts of Perseverance mine after rock fall

Production and Markets

Publishing Date: 30 Jun 2009 12:02pm GMT
Author: Mining Journal

BHP Billiton, the world’s biggest mining company, said parts of its Perseverance nickel mine in Western Australia are closed following a rockfall, the second such event to suspend operations this month.

A seismic event occurred at the mine at 11:30pm Perth time yesterday, trapping one worker underground until about 2am today, said Samantha Evans, a spokeswoman for the company.

All underground operations were closed and most of the mine has since reopened, apart from an area surrounding the rock fall, she said. She wasn’t able to say when the mine would wholly reopen.

A rock fall caused by another seismic event on June 11 trapped one worker, who was freed uninjured. That area of the mine is still closed, Evans said.

Perseverance is part of the Leinster nickel operation, which has a concentration plant with an operating capacity of 3Mt of ore a year, according to BHPB’s web site.

June 30, Bloomberg