Detour Gold

Detour Gold Corporation is a former Canadian gold mining company, between 2006 and 2020, that owned and operated the Detour Lake Mine in the Abitibi gold belt of northeastern Ontario. Located northeast of Timmins and Cochrane, Ontario, near the Quebec border, the mine was operated by Placer Dome between 1983 and 1999, recovering 1.8 million ounces of gold in that time, and maintained as an exploration property by Pelangio Mines Inc. until 2006 when a group of investors formed the Detour Gold Corporation to develop a new mine. An initial public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange on January 31, 2007, as well as several subsequent offerings, raised sufficient funds to develop the mine, so that it began production in 2013. Its low grade concentrations necessitated an open pit mine with cyanidation and carbon in pulp processing. Between 2014 and 2019 the mine produced between 500,000 and 600,000 ounces of gold each year. In 2020, following a proxy fight with activist shareholder Paulson & Co., the mine and the company were acquired by Kirkland Lake Gold in an all-stock purchase totaling $4.9 billion.
Detour Lake Mine.
The Detour Lake mining property contains the mineral rights to a large area, approximately , in northeastern Ontario, near the Quebec border, approximately northeast of Cochrane, Ontario, or northeast of Timmins, Ontario. In 1979, rights-holder Amoco Canada Petroleum agreed with Dome Mines Ltd. and Campbell Red Lake Mines Ltd. (which would both merge in 1987 with Placer Development Ltd. to form Placer Dome) to explore and develop the mineral resources. After exploration and feasibility studies, by 1982, they estimated that a mine could be constructed at a cost of $143 million, consisting of an open pit for the first four years before transitioning to an underground mine to access a higher concentrations area at lower costs. The project included the construction of an all-weather road from Cochrane and a 45 megawatt transmission line, though they were mostly funded by the province. By the time of the mine's opening in November 1983, they had an estimated reserve of 3.5 million ounces of gold with an expected mine lifespan of 22 years, and an expected additional cost of $110-million for the underground and mill expansion. However, gold prices had peaked in 1980 and, combined with actual concentrations of gold being lower than calculated, resulted in lower than anticipated returns. The decision was made in 1997 to begin closing the mine. By the time it had ceased operation in 1999 the mine had produced 1.8 million ounces of gold.
Pelangio Mines Inc. purchased the mine in 1998 for $2.3 million while it was in the process of being decommissioned and subsequently maintained it as an exploration property. A substantial exploration program increased the proven and probable reserve from 4.8 million ounces in 2007 to 16.9 million in 2016. However, the gold only existed in low grade concentrations, necessitating Open-pit mining that could process large quantities of rock. Like the first mine, it used a cyanidation and carbon in pulp processing facility. The new mine opened in 2013 and produced between 500,000 and 600,000 ounces each year through 2019 when it was acquired by Kirkland Lake Gold.
History.
The Detour Gold Corporation was founded in an asset purchase agreement announced on August 21, 2006, by a group of investors and mining experts led by Gerald Panneton. With the assistance of Vancouver-based mining management company Hunter Dickinson Incorporated, Detour Gold Corporation was created as a new company to own and develop the Detour Lake mining property. Pelangio Mines Inc. was given $5 million from the investors plus half of the shares issued during the new company's initial public offering (IPO), estimated at the time to be a total compensation of $65 million, though it was raised to $70 million as the 40 million IPO shares were adjusted from $3 to $3.50 before their release. The funds generated from the remaining 50% of the January 31, 2007, initial public offering was used to pay for further exploration of the property.
By December 2007 the initial results had increased the known reserves to 4.8 million ounces. Also, by that time, the share price had risen to $11.65. By February 2008 it had 7.8 million ounces of gold and a share price of $16.30. In 2009, with 13.2 million ounces discovered, they issued 4 million more shares at $12.10 each, for a total of $48.4 million, in July, and then another 17.55 million shares at $14 in October to raise another $250 million to use in feasibility studies. At that point, it was believed they could profitably extract 560,000 ounces annually beginning in 2012 for 14 years in an open pit design. The company raised another $252-million in 2010 at $24 per share and entered into a $125 million to purchase new haul trucks and supporting equipment from Caterpillar Inc.-supplier Toromont Industries. In 2011, the company began construction, with Kiewit Corporation on a new 135 kilometer transmission line to bring electricity to the mine site. Detour and Kiewit would be later be fined $75,000 for environmental damage relating to the work on the transmission line, including violations such as dumping fill into water bodies and clearing land within the boundaries of Little Abitibi Provincial Park.
Detour Gold's successful exploration and feasibility program, which illustrated an open pit mine could be constructed at a cost of $1.2 billion to access 14.9 million ounces of gold over 21 years and be profitable at US$625/oz (at the time the commodity price was US$1,330/oz), caused the company to be targeted for acquisition by larger mining companies that could supply the expertise and funding for the construction and operation phases. However, CEO Gerald Panneton resisted and pursued environmental assessment approval and opened a new regional headquarters office in Cochrane. They raised C$428 million partly by issuing 12,500,000 more shares at a price of C$29.75 each in July 2011. A brief spike in late-August to early-September would be the peak in Detour Gold's share price, with a closing of $39.40 on September 9, 2011. Detour would, however, continue to have success, buying out Trade Wind Ventures from its 50% stake in the adjacent 'Block A' property allowing for more expansion opportunity, selling 284,000 flow-through common shares at $35.25 to raise $10 million, acquiring federal environmental assessment approval, increasing their proven and probable reserves to 15.6 million ounces, and raising $250 million by issuing new shares all by February 2012.
By late-2012 Detour Gold, as construction of the mine was proceeding, was experiencing financing problems. It had to issue another 4 million shares at $26.50 each, its eighth share issuance since its IPO totaling $1.626-billion of equity and maintain $500 million of convertible bonds. The company pour its first ceremonially gold bar in February 2013 and entered into commercial production in September. However, throughout 2013 gold prices and the companies share price plummeted; it was the worst performing stock on the S&P/TSX Composite Index in 2013. Already carrying $600-million in debt, they were forced into issuing another batch of share at only $8.75 per share in June to maintain liquidity. The share price bottomed out at $2.97 in late-November and CEO Gerald Panneton resigned, to be replaced by the company's Chief Financial Officer Paul Martin. They had produced 232,387 ounces of gold in 2013, below expectations but at higher-than-expected prices. The share price rebounded and they were able to sell another 16 million shares at $9.25 in February 2014 to raise $150-million.
Several worker safety incidents occurred at the mine. In June 2015, a 52-year-old worker was killed from cyanide poisoning via skin absorption while repairing a leak. The company was charged with 14 violations of the "Occupational Health and Safety Act" but they were dropped in favour of Detour Gold pleading guilty to criminal negligence causing death and paying $2.6 million in fines, including $800,000 to the spouse of the worker. There was a second poisoning incident in August 2017 but the worker survived. Another worker was critically injured when the dump truck he was driving in heavy fog rolled over the side of a haulage road to the tailings pond. Nevertheless, production proceeded with the company recovering 505,558 ounces of gold in 2015, followed by 537,765 ounces in 2016 571,463 ounces in 2017 while significantly reducing its debt, 621,128 ounces in 2018, and 601,566 ounces in 2019
Share prices peaked again over $30 throughout the summer of 2016, as gold prices began rising again and the company revised its reserves up to 16.9 million ounces and the mine's life expectancy up by three years. However, the share price plunged to under $20 in the fall as gold prices fell again and the mine's expansion plan was delayed as being too costly to pursue at that time. The company fended off an unsolicited mini-tender offer made by TRC Capital Corporation, in January 2017, seeking to purchase 5,000,000 common shares, or approximately 2.86 percent of the company's shares, at a price of CA$15.25 per share. Then, on April 30, 2018, after a disappointing corporate report the share price dropped to $11, losing 30% of its value in a single day. This led to Paul Martin resigning as CEO, being replaced by the chairman of the board of directors Michael Kenyon assuming the role of interim CEO, and activist shareholder Paulson & Co. to begin lobbying to replace the board of directors. Paulson & Co. wanted to sell Detour Gold to a larger gold companies but like his predecessors, Kenyon was opposed to selling. Barrick Gold did inquire but Detour Gold continued to resist. Both Detour Gold and Paulson & Co. filed complaints against each other with the Ontario Securities Commission for providing shareholders with false and misleading information. In the December shareholder meeting Paulson & Co.'s was successful in replacing five of the nine directors with their candidates and having Kenyon resign as CEO. Kenyon was replaced by board member Bill Williams as interim CEO until May 1 when Michael McMullen was hired. On November 25, Kirkland Lake Gold announced the intended takeover of Detour Gold. The terms of the deal were that Detour Gold shareholders would receive 0.4343 of a Kirkland Lake Gold share, which at the time was a 24% premium of the market price (with Detour Gold share prices at $22.61 and Kirkland Lake Gold at $52.38) and totaled approximately $4.9 billion. Despite apprehension of shareholders on both sides, both agreed to the deal in January 28, 2020 shareholder meetings. The proxy fight and takeover at Detour Gold were amongst a wave of such in the gold sector in that timeframe. Detour Gold's stock was delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange on February 2, 2020.


Zharchikhinski mine

The Zharchikhinski mine is one of the largest molybdenum mines in Russia. The mine is located near Ulan-Ude in south-east Russia in Buryatia. The Zharchikhinski mine has reserves amounting to 110 million tonnes of molybdenum ore grading 0.09% molybdenum thus resulting 100,000 tonnes of molybdenum.


Giridih block

Giridih is a community development block (CD block) that forms an administrative division in the Giridih Sadar subdivision of the Giridih district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Overview.
Giridih is a plateau region. The western portion of the district is part of a larger central plateau. The rest of the district is a lower plateau, a flat table land with an elevation of about 1,300 feet. At the edges, the ghats drop to about 700 feet. The Pareshnath Hills or Shikharji rises to a height of 4,480 feet in the south-eastern part of the district. The district is thickly forested. Amongst the natural resources, it has coal and mica. Inaugurating the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in 2016, Raghubar Das, Chief Minister of Jharkhand, had indicated that there were 23 lakh BPL families in Jharkhand. There was a plan to bring the BPL proportion in the total population down to 35%.
Maoist activities.
Jharkhand is one of the states affected by Maoist activities. , Giridih was one of the 14 highly affected districts in the state., Giridih was identified as one of the 13 focus areas by the state police to check Maoist activities. In 2017, the Moists, in Giridih district, have torched more than 50 vehicles engaged in road construction or carrying goods.
Geography.
Paratdih, a constituent census town of Giridih CD block, is located at .
Giridih CD block is bounded by Jamua and Bengabad CD blocks on the north, Gandey CD block on the east, Tundi CD block, in Dhanbad district, across the Barakar River, Pirtand and Dumri CD blocks on the south and Birni CD Block on the west.
Giridih CD block has an area of 404.55 km2. It has 40 gram panchayats, 211 inhabited villages and 7 census towns. Giridih police station serves this block. Headquarters of this CD block is at Giridih. 29.45% of the area has forest cover.
Rivers in Giridih CD block are Barakar, Pathri, Kurgi, Usri and Khaki.
Gram panchayats in Giridih CD block are: Pahadpur, Sindwariya, Leda, Bajto, Algunda, Senadoni, Jitpur, Badgunda Khurd, Berdonga, Palmo, Barhmoriya, Karharbari, Telodih, Khawa, Pindatand, Sikdardih, Parsatand, Maheshlundi, Akdoni Kala, Matrukha, Purnanagar, Chunjka, Akdoni Khurd, Yogitand, Baxidih, Chaitadih, Bhandardih, Sihodih, Sirsiya, Pandeydih, Mangrodih, Paratdih, Patrodih, Dadidih, Harsinghraidih, Udnabad, Mohanpur, Gadi Srirampur, Jaspur and Fulchi.
Demographics.
Population.
According to the 2011 Census of India Giridih CD block had a total population of 258,037, of which 208,260 were rural and 49,777 were urban. There were 133,345 (52%) males and 124,692 (48%) females. Population in the age range 0–6 years was 49,452. Scheduled Castes numbered 49,252 (19.09%) and Scheduled Tribes numbered 31,267 (12.12%).
Census towns in Giridih CD block were (2011 figures in brackets): Telodih (6,970), Sirsia (7,181), Maheshmunda (7,389), Akdoni Khurd (6,321), Dandidih (7,769), Paratdih (8,854) and Pertodih (5,293).
Literacy.
 census the total number of literate persons in Giridih CD block was 131,865 (63.22% of the population over 6 years) out of which males numbered 80,135 (74.29% of the male population over 6 years) and females numbered 51,730 (51.36% of the female population over 6 years). The gender disparity (the difference between female and male literacy rates) was 22.93%.
 census, literacy in Giridih district was 63.14% Literacy in Jharkhand was 66.41% in 2011. Literacy in India in 2011 was 74.04%.
See also – List of Jharkhand districts ranked by literacy rate
Language and religion.
In 2001, Khortha was the mother-tongue of 988,198 persons in Giridih district, forming 51.89% of the population, followed by Hindi with 392,263 persons (20.60%), Urdu with 309,960 persons (11.24%) and others with 309,960 persons (16.28%) with no information.
Hindi is the official language in Jharkhand and Urdu has been declared as an additional official language.
In 2011, Hindus numbered 1,856,202, forming 75.90% of the population of Giridih district followed by Muslims with 508,586 persons (20.80%), Christians with 14,645 persons (0.60%) and other religions/ religion not stated with 66,041 (2.70%).
Rural poverty.
40-50% of the population of Giridih district were in the BPL category in 2004–2005, being in the same category as Godda, Koderma and Hazaribagh districts. Rural poverty in Jharkhand declined from 66% in 1993–94 to 46% in 2004–05. In 2011, it has come down to 39.1%.
Economy.
Livelihood.
In Giridih CD block in 2011, amongst the class of total workers, cultivators numbered 12,706 and formed 18.11%, agricultural labourers numbered 15,571 and formed 22.20%, household industry workers numbered 2,706 and formed 3.86% and other workers numbered 39,159 and formed 55.83%. Total workers numbered 70,142 and formed 33.68% of the rural population, and non-workers numbered 138,118 and formed 66.32% of the population.
Infrastructure.
There are 211 inhabited villages in Giridih CD block. In 2011, 86 villages had power supply. 32 villages had tap water (treated/ untreated), 200 villages had well water (covered/ uncovered), 193 villages had hand pumps, and all villages had drinking water facility. 34 villages had post offices, 15 villages had a sub post office, 12 villages had telephones (land lines) and 81 villages had mobile phone coverage. 205 villages had pucca (paved) village roads, 17 villages had bus service (public/ private), 31 villages had autos/ modified autos, and 81 villages had tractors. 21 villages had bank branches, 9 villages had agricultural credit societies, no village had cinema/ video halls, 1 village had public library and public reading room. 78 villages had public distribution system, 6 villages had weekly haat (market) and 125 villages had assembly polling stations.
Agriculture.
Hills occupy a large portion of Giridih district. The soil is generally rocky and sandy and that helps jungles and bushes to grow. The forest area, forming a large portion of total area, in the district is evenly distributed all over. Some areas near the rivers have alluvial soil. In Giridih CD block, the percentage of cultivable area to total area is 42.31%. The percentage of cultivable area to the total area for the district, as a whole, is 27.04%. Irrigation is inadequate. The percentage of irrigated area to cultivable area in Giridih CD block is 2.63%. May to October is the Kharif season, followed by the Rabi season. Rice, sown in 50% of the gross sown area, is the main crop in the district. Other important crops grown are: maize, wheat, sugar cane, pulses and vegetables.
Giridih coalfield.
Giridih CD block covers a major part of coal mining activity in the district. The East Indian Railway Company started coal mining in Giridih Coalfield in 1871 to meet its own requirements. The oldest coal mine in Chotanagpur, covering an area of 28.47 km2., is located near the town of Giridih.
Backward Regions Grant Fund.
Giridih district is listed as a backward region and receives financial support from the Backward Regions Grant Fund. The fund created by the Government of India is designed to redress regional imbalances in development. As of 2012, 272 districts across the country were listed under this scheme. The list includes 21 districts of Jharkhand.
Transport.
National Highway 114A, running from Rampurhat on NH 14 to Dumri on NH 19 (old NH2)/ Grand Trunk Road and State Highway 13 (Jharkhand), running from Koderma to Gobindpur on NH 16, crosses at Giridih.
Madhupur-Giridih-Koderma line passes through this block. Giridih railway station is on this line. Other railway stations in Giridih are: Krishna Ballabh Sahay Halt and Maheshmunda.
Education.
Giridih CD block had 59 villages with pre-primary schools, 176 villages with primary schools, 81 villages with middle schools, 9 villages with secondary schools, 4 villages with senior secondary schools, 30 villages with no educational facility.
Healthcare.
Giridih CD block had 3 villages with primary health centres, 28 villages with primary health subcentres, 16 villages with maternity and child welfare centres, 3 villages with allopathic hospitals, 9 villages with dispensaries, 9 villages with family welfare centres, 16 villages with medicine shops.


Ebelyakh River diamond mine

The Ebelyakh River mine is one of the largest diamond mines in Russia and in the world. The mine is located in the north-eastern part of the country in the Sakha Republic. The mine has estimated reserves of 25.08 million carats of diamonds and an annual production capacity of 0.2 million carats.


Six Bells

Six Bells is an electoral ward and neighbourhood in Abertillery, Blaenau Gwent, Wales. It was originally a village that grew up around the local coal mines. The ward elects two county councillors to Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council.
History and description.
The village of Six Bells developed in part of Llanhilleth parish during the mid 19th-century, with the growth of the coal industry in the area. It may have gained its name from the Six Bells public house. Employment would originally have centred around the Hafod Fan pit, which was later replaced by the larger Arael Griffin colliery, which opened in 1898 and later became known as Six Bells Colliery. The village was incorporated into Abertillery Urban District and, in the early years of the 20th-century, Alexandra Road and Richmond Road were built which joined Six Bells with Abertillery town to the north. Most of the houses of Six Bells lie immediately east of the River Ebbw.
Six Bells Halt railway station closed in 1962.
According to the 2011 census the population of Six Bells was 2,396 (with 198 being able to read, speak or write Welsh).
Six Bells Colliery disaster.
On 28 June 1960, 45 men were killed by an explosion at the Six Bells Colliery. On the 50th anniversary a 20 metre high memorial sculpture was unveiled by Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury on the colliery site. Called "Guardian", the monument was described as the Welsh answer to Antony Gormley's Angel of the North. The colliery closed in 1988.
Governance.
Six Bells is in the Blaenau Gwent parliamentary constituency for elections to the UK parliament and a constituency of the same name for elections to the Welsh Assembly government.
Town Council.
Six Bells is a ward of Abertillery and Llanhilleth Town Council, electing three town councillors.
County Council.
The Six Bells county ward elects two county councillors to Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council. It is bordered to the north by Abertillery and to the south by the Llanhilleth ward. To the east is the Abersychan ward of Torfaen.
At the May 2017 elections the ward elected two Independent councillors, Denzil Hancock and Mark Holland. Since 1995 the ward has elected a mixture of Labour, Independent and Plaid Cymru representatives, with Cllr Hancock being elected for Plaid Cymru in 1995 though subsequently standing as an Independent.


Fred J. Kern

Frederick John Kern (September 2, 1864 – November 9, 1931) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois.
Early life.
Frederick John Kern was born on the family homestead farm near Millstadt, St. Clair County, Illinois, the son and grandson of German immigrants. Kern was educated in the Millstadt public and parochial schools, and attended Illinois State Normal University in Normal, Illinois during the 1885-86 and 1887-88 academic years. In 1884, Kern traveled to Gurdon, Arkansas, where he worked for a year in various lumber camps and mills. While in Arkansas, Kern lost his left hand in a hunting accident, and subsequently returned to Millstadt, IL where, after completing his education at Illinois State, he taught at various times in the Bohleyville, Hoepfinger, and Englemann Township schools. In 1890, Kern entered journalism as editor of the East St. Louis (Illinois) Gazette, and in 1891, he and partner Fred L. Kraft purchased the Belleville News-Democrat from the Southern Illinois Publishing Company. In 1892 his partner withdrew, and Kern served as Publisher, Editor and Sole owner of the newspaper until his death.
Political career.
In 1892, Kern served as Chief Enrolling and Engrossing Clerk of the Illinois State Senate. After an unsuccessful run for the United States 56th Congress in 1898, Kern was elected as a Democrat to the 57th United States Congress, and served one term in 1901-03. Defeated for re-election in 1902, Kern was elected Mayor of Belleville, IL in 1903, where he served 5 terms during 1903-13. In 1913, Kern was appointed by Illinois Governor Edward Dunne to the position of President of the Illinois State Board of Administration, where he served through 1918. He served as delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1904, 1908, and 1912.
Later life.
After 1918, Kern occupied no public office and devoted all his time to his newspaper work. Married on July 23, 1893 to Alma Fredericka Eidmann Of Mascoutah, IL, the couple had three sons, Alfred E., Robert L., and Richard P. Fred J. Kern died in Belleville, Illinois, on November 9, 1931, and was interred in Walnut Hill Cemetery.


Richard Dewhurst

Richard Dewhurst (May 26, 1826 - October 13, 1895) was an American lawyer, politician, judge, banker and lumberman from Neillsville, Wisconsin. Dewhurst served in the Wisconsin State Assembly for four single discontinuous terms over four different decades (from the 1850s to the 1880s) under four different political party labels (Republican, Union, Liberal Reform and Independent); and was defeated twice when running for election on the ticket of a fifth party, the Democratic.
Background.
Dewhurst was born near Manchester, England on May 26, 1826; at the age of one year he came to the United States when his parents moved there, settling first in Bristol County, Massachusetts, then moving to Lorain County, Ohio, where they would spend the remainder of their lives, and where three more sons were born to them. Dewhurst spent a part of his boyhood and youth on his parents' farm, received a common school and academic education in Elyria, Ohio, subsequently but read the law in the Oberlin, Ohio office of one P. Bliss He was admitted to the bar of Ohio, and in 1850 moved to Jo Daviess County, Illinois, where for a while he worked in the lead mines. For a year or two he taught school in Scales Mound, Illinois, then moved about 1852 to Potosi in Grant County, Wisconsin.
Public office and employment; first term in the Assembly; marriage and move; Civil War.
By 1854 he was teaching school in Platteville, and in 1856 was admitted to the bar of Wisconsin at White Oak Springs, before moving on to Weston in May of that year. In 1856 he was elected Clark County's county judge, and register of deeds. In 1858, he was first elected a member of the Assembly for a one-year term in the Legislature's 12th (1859) session as a member of the newly organized Republican Party, succeeding fellow Republican Lucius Cannon in the district encompassing Chippewa, Clark, Dunn and Pierce counties. He was succeeded by William P. Bartlett (also a Republican).
On March 29, 1859 he married Maria S. Curtis, who had been born in Ohio on April 9, 1840 (her parents, both natives of Connecticut, were married in Ohio and had settled at Cottage Grove, Wisconsin). After marriage the Dewhursts came to Neillsville, settling on the bank of the creek below the mill. The nearest markets were then at Sparta and La Crosse, and the roads merely trails through the wilderness. They built a frame house, and there they began domestic life. Dewhurst engaged in logging, a widespread occupation in that region in those days. It was later remembered that there were still many American Indians in the area who often came to the Dewhurst home looking for handouts, and "were always given something."
During the American Civil War Dewhurst served in a Wisconsin regiment and served as a deputy U. S. assessor in 1863-4.
Second term in the Assembly.
He was elected again in 1864 as a National Union candidate, to a district which now encompassed Clark and Jackson counties, succeeding Calvin R. Johnson (also a National Union candidate), and was assigned to the standing committees on banks and banking, and on school and university lands. His profession is described as land agent in the "Wisconsin Blue Book" for that term He was succeeded by yet another Union candidate, Leandor Merrill.
After the second term; 1870s and beyond.
He was elected again to the Assembly in 1874 as a candidate of the Liberal Reform Party (also called the Democratic Reform or simply Reform Party), a short-lived coalition of Democrats, reform and Liberal Republicans, and Grangers formed in 1873. He was the Reform nominee both for the 32nd Senate District, losing 2097 to 2354 to Republican Robert C. Field; and for his old Assembly district (Clark and Jackson Counties), defeating Republican James Hewett 1210 to 1179. With the Reform coalition starting to break down (Reform Governor William Robert Taylor, the heart of the party, was defeated for re-election), Dewhurst was not a candidate for re-election in 1875, and was succeeded by Republican Hugh B. Mills.
In 1875, he became county school superintendent; and upon the death of incumbent William Hutchinson he filled Hutchinson's unexpired term as county treasurer. In 1877 he once again became county judge, serving until 1879.
During this period he built a colonial home in Neillsville, and a block on the town's Main Street bearing his name. In 1874 Dewhurst travelled to Oregon, Washington and California, and in the late 1870s toured Scotland, Ireland, his native England and the French Exposition.
He ran for the Assembly again in 1884 as a Democrat (Clark County now had its own Assembly district), losing to Republican James O'Neill (the younger) with 1515 votes to O'Neill's 1831. He was elected as a member of the assembly for the fourth and final time in 1886 as an independent candidate, receiving 1,601 votes, against 1,019 votes for Republican T. J. La Flesh and 200 for Prohibitionist George A. Austin (O'Neill was not a candidate). This time, he was assigned to the committee on town and county organizations. He ran for re-election as a Democrat, and was defeated by Republican Merritt Clarke Ring.
Personal life.
At the time of his death Dewhurst was president of the Neillsville Bank and held a like position in the German American Bank of Marshfield. He was a Mason and a member of the Universalist Church. He died of apoplexy on October 13, 1895 while visiting the Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia; He'd left Neillsville for Atlanta on September 30, intending to spend some days at the Exposition and then proceed to his winter home in Florida.
The Town of Dewhurst, Wisconsin was named after him in 1901.


Tubal Cain mine

Tubal Cain Mine is an abandoned copper mine in the Buckhorn Wilderness, east of Olympic National Park in the US state of Washington. The main adit penetrates 450 meters into Mount Worthington.
The mine is named after Tubal-Cain, a character mentioned in the Bible. The Book of Genesis 4:22 says that Tubal-cain was a "forger of all instruments of bronze and iron," a metalsmith.
History.
In 1902 copper was discovered in the Dungeness River drainage. The ore was said to have both copper and gold. Later that year, the Tubal-Cain Copper & Manganese Mining Co. headquartered in Seattle built a trail and began to mine ore out of the area. After an avalanche in 1912, which destroyed the main sawmill, powderhouse, and barn and clubhouse, activity at the mine declined. The mine never produced a dime of profit. Most geologists believe upheaval of the Olympic Mountains broke and scattered any large veins or pods of ore that may have existed. The mine produced hints of low-grade ore, and was abandoned in the early 1920s.
Two camps were established: Copper City at the bottom of Mt. Buckhorn, and Tull City located in Tull Canyon. Evidence of these camps such as metal boilers, wire, a Pelton wheel, and old cabin foundations are still visible today.


Clarence Berry

Clarence Jesse Berry (1867–1930), known as C.J., was a businessman and successful gold miner in the Klondike Gold Rush. He and his wife, Ethel Bush Berry, made a further fortune in Ester, Alaska, in 1902, and founded several oil companies over the years, which eventually became Berry Petroleum Company.
In Ester, Berry pioneered the use of the cold water point and the steam point, used to thaw frozen soil and permafrost in a safer manner for drift mining than boring shafts using hot rocks or underground fires, which rendered the excavations and tunnels far more susceptible to collapse. The Berrys operated No. 8 Below Discovery Claim.
Early life.
Berry Park in Selma, California, is named for Berry, who was a struggling fruit farmer in that San Joaquin Valley town before he traveled to the Klondike. Clarence went to Alaska in 1894 in search of gold after his fruit farming venture failed in California. During his first year in Alaska, CJ learned from local natives on how to survive in the hostile environment. It was a very difficult year for CJ during the winter of 1894/95, as he got trapped deep into the Forty Mile Creek area and had only beans to eat for two months. The multitude of hardships working a mining operation solo were extensive. After a long day of hard labor, his cabin would have to be heated with chopped wood and water melted for drinking and cooking.
CJ returned to Selma in 1895 and married his childhood sweetheart Ethel Bush in 1896. The newlyweds and CJ's brother Fred returned to Alaska for the honeymoon. Ethel Berry was one of the earliest white women to cross the Chilkoot Pass, although the distinction of the first female crossing is thought to belong to Dutch Kate, in 1888. The honeymooners settled in at the Forty Mile Creek outpost on the Yukon River, and CJ got a job as the local bartender.
The Klondike Gold Rush.
In the summer of 1896, George Carmack walked into the Forty Mile Creek Saloon and paid for his drink with gold nuggets. CJ felt Carmack's story was credible and left immediately with his brother Fred to stake claims. CJ and Fred, staying very close to shore in their small boat, pushed themselves upriver with "poles" slowly but surely against the mighty Yukon River current. It was hard work, but the Berry brothers made the journey upstream to the claims within a few days.
They both staked claims on Rabbit Creek, which quickly became known as Bonanza Creek. They each explored their claims, digging to approximately deep through the permafrost with some luck. These claims were sold, as they found no significant amount of gold. (A hundred years later, these stakes are still being mined, with the payzone being deep.)
CJ traded half of his claim on Bonanza Creek for a half claim on Little Rabbit Creek, which later became known as El Dorado Creek. They built a small cabin. Ethyl took care of heating the cabin and cleaning and cooking for the men. CJ and Fred gathered firewood and built large fires to melt the permafrost, allowing them to dig deeper each day. Fred and Clarence would chop a tree down uphill and "ride" it into camp. Clarence dug his own pit on the upper left side and Fred had a hole on the upper right of their half claim. (A claim was long, measured with a rope and later resurveyed.) Shoring the holes was not necessary, as the frozen ground was structurally sound. The gold became more abundant the deeper they went. When they got down, they were astounded. They had reached a payzone several feet thick of black sand containing gold, with every shovel full being worth hundreds of dollars (gold at $16.00 an ounce) Champion pans paid more than $500.00 per pan.
CJ and Fred were savvy businessmen; they managed to acquire two adjacent claims on the El Dorado before word got out about the riches beneath. CJ left a bucket of gold nuggets and a bottle of whiskey outside his cabin with a note saying "help yourself". Immediately, CJ sent for his former fruit farm workers. About a dozen of his workers arrived from Selma in 1897. They were trusted workers and well compensated at an ounce of gold daily. Clarence called his workers "Selmanites".
On July 17, 1897, CJ and Ethyl Berry and other successful miners arrived in Seattle aboard the SS "Portland", the first ship to put into the port with tangible proof of the riches of the Klondike. One newspaperman from the "Seattle Post-Intelligencer" (with more interest in grabbing his readers' attention than fact finding) reported the "Portland" carried a "ton of gold"; as it turned out, it was "two" tons. CJ's story and picture was on the front page of the Seattle and San Francisco newspapers. A worldwide gold rush ensued. In later years, CJ and his three brothers (Fred, Henry and Frank) worked as a team, alternating six month shifts at the northern mining camps.
CJ went on to acquiring prolific mining claims in Ester, Alaska, near Fairbanks, and a mine in the Circle District called "Berry Camp".
Oil and later life.
In 1909, CJ purchased several sections of land in Maricopa near Taft, California, which became known as Berry Holding Company. In 1926, CJ's oil producing properties in Mexico were expropriated and Algur H. Meadows, Henry W. Peters and Ralph G. Trippett took over. Berry Petroleum was formed, and eventually went public on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BRY in 1985. Berry produced its 100 millionth barrel of oil in 1996.
Clarence's brother Henry later owned two professional baseball teams in the Pacific Coast League, including the San Francisco Seals, for many years.
In 1996, CJ Berry was inducted into the Mining Hall of Fame located in Leadville, Colorado.


Mand Raigarh Coalfield

Mand Raigarh Coalfield is located in Raigarh district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. It lies in the valley of the Mand River, a tributary of the Mahanadi.
The coalfield.
Mand Raigarh Coalfield, along with Korba and Hasdo Arand Coalfields forms the South Chhattisgarh Coalfields. Mand Raigarh Coalfield includes the areas earlier known as North Raigarh, South Raigarh and Mand River Coalfields. Of at least twelve seams in the Mand Valley, the Mand and Taraimar seams are important.
Mand Raigarh Coalfield is spread over an area of . The field has a potential for mining of power grade coal, much of which can be extracted through open cast mining. Gare block has been identified for captive mining by private companies.
According to the Geological Survey of India total reserves (including proved, indicated and inferred reserves) of non-coking coal in the Mand Raigarh Coalfield is 18,532.93 million tonnes. Out of this 13,868.20 million tonnes is up to depth of 300 metres, 4569.51 million tonnes is at a depth of 300-600 meres and 95.22 million tonnes is at a depth of 600–1200 m.
Operations.
Baroud Open Cast Mine.
Baroud Open Cast Mine of Mand Raigarh Coalfields, consisting of Baroud and Rai West geological fields, will produce 3.5 million tonnes per annum at peak levels. Raigarh, 45 km away is the nearest railhead.
Transport.
The new coalfield Mand-Raigarh is being linked to Korba Coalfield. It will be subsequently connected to the Pendra Road-Amritpur line.
The Mand Raigarh Coalfield does not have a rail link (as of 2012). Construction of the long Bhupdeopur-Korichhapar/Baroud-Dharamjaygarh with an extension up to the Champa-Korba branch line is essential for the transportation of around 100 million tonnes of coal planned annually from Mand Raigarh Coalfield. South Eastern Coalfields Limited will fund this project.
Power Plants.
NTPC has planned to set up the 5 x 800 MW Lara Super Thermal Power Project in Raigarh district. Coal requirement will be met from Talaipalli coal block of Mand Raigarh Coalfield.


Djemi Djema mine

The Djemi Djema mine is a large mine located in Tébessa Province. Djemi Djema represents one of the largest phosphates reserve in Algeria having estimated reserves of 620 million tonnes of ore grading 12% P2O5.


Hajvalia mine

The Hajvalia mine is one of the largest lead and zinc mines in Kosovo. The mine is located in Leposavić. The mine has reserves amounting to 0.723 million tonnes of ore grading 9.65% lead, 18.26% zinc, and 126.4gr/t silver, thus resulting tonnes of lead, tonnes of zinc]and 91 tonnes of silver.


RAG AG

RAG AG, formerly Ruhrkohle AG, is the largest German coal mining corporation. The company headquarters are in Essen in the Ruhr area. The company was founded on 27 November 1968, consolidating several coalmining corporations into the Ruhrkohle AG.
On 12 September 2007 as a result of restructuring, the business areas of chemicals, energy and real estate were transferred to the new business entity Evonik Industries AG. Today, Evonik Industries are majority owned by the "RAG-Stiftung" (English: "RAG-Foundation"), which uses corporate profits to finance the costs that arise due to the former mining activities in the Ruhr region. The foundation plans on using about 220 million euro per year from 2019 to maintain abandoned coal mines, which mainly involves pumping out the ground water that destabilises tunnels. Since its board of trustees is dominated by federal and regional government officials as well as unions, RAG Foundation is also keen to secure Evonik's more than 20,000 jobs in Germany.
By June 2014, the foundation received the approval from its board of trustees to cut its Evonik stake to 60 percent over the medium term.


Bat Cave mine

The Bat Cave guano mine, located in the western Grand Canyon of Arizona at river mile 266, above Lake Mead, was an unusual, expensive and noteworthy mining operation. The natural cave was a bat habitat and contained an accumulation of guano.
Mining.
The cave was apparently discovered in the 1930s by a passing boater. Several unsuccessful early attempts were made to mine the nitrogen-rich guano deposit within the cave for fertilizer. The U.S. Guano Corporation bought the property around 1957. Based on a reputable mining engineer's estimate that the cave contained 100,000 tons of guano, the company constructed an elaborate plan to extract the guano. A small airstrip was built on a nearby sandbar in the Colorado River, and all supplies and machinery needed were then flown in. An aerial tramway was built from the mine to Guano Point on the South Rim, with the cable headhouse built on land leased from the Hualapai tribe. The cableway crossed the river, with a main span of , and a vertical lift of . About of 1.5 inch (38 mm) steel cable were used, to support and pull a cable car large enough to transport of guano. The same car was used to transport the miners to and from work. The guano was mined using a large industrial "vacuum-cleaner" with ten-inch hoses. From the cablehead, the guano was hauled by truck to Kingman, Arizona and packaged for retail sale.
During construction of the cableway, which took 14 months, the first of several mishaps occurred. When first tensioning the main cable, a clutch-lever broke, dropping of cable into the canyon. A new cable was ordered and strung, and mining began. The pull-cable wore out after a few months use and had to be replaced, bringing the company's total investment up to USD $3,500,000.
The mining engineer's estimate of the potential size of the guano deposit proved wildly optimistic: the cave contained only about 1,000 tons of minable guano, not the 100,000 tons of the engineer's estimate. Most of the cave was filled with valueless limestone rubble.
In 1959, the cableway was used for the film "Edge of Eternity", with the climax of the film involving a fight on a U.S. Guano cable car suspended above the Grand Canyon.
Mining ceased in early 1960. Guano sold for about $100 a ton then, so this was not a profitable venture.
Scientific study.
Paleontologist Paul S. Martin and a colleague visited the mine in 1958, after reading a report in the New York Times that mentioned the guano came from "giant, meat-eating bats millions of years ago." The guano actually came from free-tailed bats, "Tadarida brasiliensis", which eat insects. Martin collected a sample from 7 ft (2m) below the surface of the guano, which yielded a radiocarbon date of 12,900 ± 1,500 years ago. The miners reported finding "bat graveyards," some with mummified free-tail bats. No giant meat-eating bats were discovered. Martin had hoped to find fossil pollen, his research interest at that time, but found none in his samples.
Post mine activity.
A few months after closure of the mine, a US Air Force jet, illegally "hot-dogging" down the canyon, clipped the cable, damaging the plane's wing and severing the cable. The plane survived, and U.S. Guano successfully sued the Air Force for damaging their property, offsetting some of their losses.
In 1975 the abandoned mine became part of Grand Canyon National Park. The National Park Service later proposed removing the tramway remnants within the park, but there was public protest against demolition of these interesting historic relics. As of 2007, some remnants of the old operation remain at Bat Cave, and on the South Rim in the Hualapai Indian Reservation.
Guano Point is still a popular stop for air tours from Las Vegas, Nevada. Tourists can inspect the remnants of the old mining operation. Tour operators pay use-fees to the Hualapai tribe, and the tribe offers a barbecue lunch near the old tramway head house, as part of their Grand Canyon West business venture.


Joseph Skipsey

 Joseph Skipsey (17 March 1832 – 3 September 1903) was a Northumbrian poet during the Victorian period and one of a number of literary coal miners to be known as 'The Pitman Poet'. Among his best known works is the ballad "The Hartley Calamity", which imagined the last hours of several of those trapped underground during the Hartley Colliery Disaster of January 1862. This devastating mining accident killed a total of 204 men and boys and remains England's most catastrophic pit disaster.
Birth and early life.
Joseph Skipsey was born in Percy Village (generally known after the name of the colliery Percy Main), in the Parish of Tynemouth on 17 March 1832. He was the eighth and final child of Cuthbert, an overman at Percy Main Colliery, and Isabella Skipsey.
Joseph Skipsey's life was touched by tragedy at an early age when his father, Cuthbert, was shot dead on 8 July 1832. In the wake of a long and bitter miners' strike tensions in the Great Northern Coalfield were running high and on the Sunday evening, an affray occurred between a group of miners and armed special constables. Cuthbert Skipsey, a man of influence within the community, stepped forward in an attempt to defuse the situation. One of the special constables, George Weddell, pushed him away and shot him with his pistol, Cuthbert died immediately. Weddell was arrested, tried, found guilty of manslaughter, and sentenced to six months hard labour.
Like many children of that era, Joseph Skipsey started work in the local pit at the age of seven as a trapper. In order to break the boredom of the long hours in darkness, Skipsey taught himself to read and write by copying the text from discarded newspapers, adverts, playbills and other printed materials in chalk onto the wooden door he worked at. As his abilities grew Skipsey began, like many other working-class writers, to read canonical writers and was deeply influenced by Shakespeare, Robert Burns, John Milton and Goethe, with Milton's "Paradise Lost" having a profound influence over him. In an interview he gave to "The Pall Mall Gazette" in 1889, Skipsey told the newspaper that his first attempts at creating verse came when the older boys in the pit would sing incomplete versions of popular songs. Feeling frustration at these half-remembered songs, Skipsey would fill them out with his own words to match the rhythms and the rhymes he picked up. From here he began to write his own verses and poems before finally committing them to paper and, ultimately, to print.
Marriage and family.
In 1852 he walked to London in his search for work and found employment there on the railways. It was here that he met his bride-to-be, his landlady Sarah Ann Fendley. They returned North and he found a job at Choppington, and then Pembroke Colliery, near Sunderland.
Joseph Skipsey married Sarah, from Watlington, Norfolk, in December 1868 and she bore him five sons (including Joseph b. 1869 and Cuthbert b. 1872) and three daughters (including Elizabeth Ann b. 1860 and who was living at Harraton at the time of her father’s death). The three named children were the only ones to outlive their father.
Later life.
His first volume of his own works was published in Durham in 1858, a copy of which came to the attention of James Thomas Clephan, at that time editor of the "Gateshead Observer", a relatively new newspaper and the first in Gateshead. When told by Skipsey of his dire situation, Clephan obtained a job for him at Hawks, Crawshay and Sons ironworks in Gateshead.
Following the death of one of his children, Skipsey moved to Newcastle in 1863 and became an assistant Librarian at the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne for a short time. The job did not seem to suit him and, as the pay was poor, he returned to working in the pits, eventually settling at Backworth, where he remained until 1882.
On the death of three of his children within the space of a month, he wrote in the family bible: "On October 16th my son Cuthbert died in his fourteenth year, on the 24th of the same month so did my little Emma 1 year and 9 months old and the 30th our dear Harriet in her seventh year leaving us with our Elizabeth Ann Pringle only. The children died from scarletina. Let me say that three more lovely and affectionate children were never born in this world. Their loss has bowed their parents head down to dust of our reflections and their deaths have enlikened the belief that the dear jewels were wrongly treated. Joseph Skipsey. March 8th 1869. Also William - he was killed by a waggon on the Tyne Main Way near Gateshead on 7 September 1860."
Following the publication of his "A Book of Miscellaneous Lyrics" (1878), Skipsey's work came to the appreciative attention of Dante Gabriel Rossetti and, in 1880, he travelled to London to meet Rossetti. During this visit, Skipsey was introduced to many of the leading cultural figures of the nineteenth-century, including most notably Edward Burne-Jones. Following this trip to London, and through the efforts of Burne-Jones, Skipsey was awarded a small annual pension from the Royal Bounty Fund for his services to literature by William Gladstone.
By 1882 he was 50 years old and starting to feel his age, and so when a position of caretaker became vacant at a new Board School at Mill Lane, Newcastle, he applied for, and won the post. This school was successful and grew in size, until the workload became too much for him and his wife. In September 1888, he moved to the position of porter at the newly extended Armstrong College, but even this was hardly the job for a man of letters.
When, in 1889, the post of custodian of Shakespeare's Birthplace at Stratford-upon-Avon became vacant, Skipsey was one of 132 applicants. Supported by some of the most important cultural figures of the late-nineteenth century, including Alfred Tennyson, Robert Browning, Oscar Wilde, William Rossetti, William Morris, Edward Dowden, Edmund Gosse, and many others, Skipsey's application proved irresistible and he and his wife were appointed joint custodians. After less than two years he became disenchanted with the post which (he confided in a letter not to be opened until after his death) involved dealing with relics which had "no definite history"m and having to "perpetuate error and fraud" on the visitors and general public. Skipsey's experience inspired Henry James' story "The Birthplace".
He and his wife returned to Tyneside, where they lived off his pension, residing, in turns, at the homes of their surviving children.
Death.
Sarah Skipsey died on 9 August 1902, at the age of 73.
Joseph Skipsey died in the house of his son Cuthbert at 5 Kells Gardens, Low Fell, Gateshead, on 3 September 1903, aged 71. He was interred in Gateshead Cemetery. Two of his five sons and the eldest of three daughters survived him.
Poems.
Poems written by Skipsey:
Skipsey also edited the following volumes of poetry for the "Canterbury Poets" series published by Walter Scott Publishing Co., for each of which he provided a biographical preface:
External links.
Attribution


H. E. T. Haultain

Herbert Edward Terrick Haultain (9 August 1869 – 19 September 1961) was a Canadian engineer and inventor.
He was born in Brighton, England and died in Toronto, Ontario. He graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in civil engineering from the School of Practical Science (now the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering) in 1889. He was largely responsible for the creation of the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer administered to many Canadian engineering students, where they receive the Iron Ring. The Haultain building at the University of Toronto is named for him and he is an inductee of the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame.
In the 1920s 20% to 30% of the Canadian graduating classes in engineering were emigrating to the United States. In 1927 Professor Haultain and Robert A. Bryce, president of Macassa Mines and a noted mining engineer, co-founded the Technical Service Council, a non-profit, industry-sponsored organization. Its aim was to retain engineers for Canada by operating a placement service for them. In 1971, the Council's executive search arm, Bryce, Haultain & Associates, was named after them. He died in 1961, and was buried in Little Lake Cemetery in Peterborough, Ontario, with several other family members.


Sweetwater Mine


Montana Silver Mining

Montana silver mining was a major industry in the 1800s following discovery of numerous silver deposits. Between 1883 and 1891 Montana was second every year to Colorado in silver production, except for 1887 when Montana was number one, producing approximately $15.5 million worth of silver. Major mining districts in Montana included Butte, which was home to many important mines such as the Lexington, Alice, and Moulton mines, and Philipsburg, which housed the Granite Mountain and Bimetallic mines. Other influential, but significantly smaller mines, operated at Helena and the Castle Mountains. The rapid raise and fall of these mines were due to largely geological and economic factors that created favorable conditions for a silver mining boom and subsequent bust. Montana continued to produce considerable silver through most of the 1900s, as a byproduct of copper production at Butte.
Butte.
Montana's leading silver district was Butte, which produced 716 million troy ounces of silver from 1880 through 2005. Butte began as a placer gold-mining district in 1864. In 1874, the gold placers were largely exhausted, and Butte was becoming a ghost town, when silver ore was discovered, starting a rush to the district. In 1883, the first rich copper vein was discovered, and copper mining at Butte proved to be much more profitable than silver mining. Also in 1883, the Northern Pacific Railroad laid tracks into Butte, greatly aiding the economics of mining on a large scale. Butte quickly became one of the world's leading copper districts, and made most of its silver as a byproduct of copper mining. Mining halted at Butte in 1983, but in 1986, Montana Resources LLP reopened the Continental open pit just east of Butte, and so silver continues to be produced at Butte, as a byproduct.
Geology.
The ore deposits in Montana were of very rich, but of very limited depth. Two factors contributed to this particular formation of the ores. The first of these factors were ascending hot waters traveling through fissures in the rocks and dropping their silver in chemically favorable zones. The second of these were descending cold waters trickling down the fissure veins, and moving and re-depositing the silver to further enrich the veins near the water table. These mines would prove to be extremely prosperous for a time, but due to the lack of depth would fade drastically as there simply weren't any high-grade silver zones below .
Economic conditions leading to boom.
There were many economic factors, both local and national, that led to the massive silver boom in Montana. The first cause (on the national level), in response to miners calling for the government to subsidize silver, was the Bland–Allison Act of 1878. The act called for the government to purchase a limited amount of silver, $2 to $4 million, per month. This legislation served to appease silver miners, and it greatly stimulated silver mining as it created a substantial market for silver.
Within Montana, the introduction of railroads was a large factor in the silver boom. For one, railroads allowed for ores to be transported to outside smelters and markets much more cheaply than was previously possibly. Secondly, transportation made it much cheaper to build mills and smelters near the mines because a large-scale transportation of materials was economically feasible. For example, salt, which was an ingredient used in the roasting process, cost $120 per ton in Philipsburg in 1870 when it had to be transported by wagon, but the price fell to only $25 per ton in 1883 due to the introduction of railroads. Thanks to this improvement in transportation, and due to the subsequent availability of better technologies, the minimum value of ore per ton, at the Alta mine for example, dropped from $100 per ton to $12 per ton in order to be a success.
Due to the economic stimulus, improved transportation, and better technology, the profitability of the mines Montana soared. In 1889, Montana's smelting centers reported record numbers in tons of ores per day: Butte, 4000; Anaconda, 2500; Great Falls 1250; East Helena, 550; Glendale, 250; Wickes, 125; Argenta, 120. The two main producers of silver were Silver Bow County (the Butte district), which produced 43.2% of the state's silver, and Deer Lodge County (the Philipsburg district), which produced 35.6% of the state's silver. The following year, the Granite Mountain and Bimetallic mines in Philipsburg produced 4 million ounces of silver, and paid $2.5 million in dividends to stockholders.
Towards the end of the 1880s, silver prices began to fall because of the overproduction of silver. In order to continue the silver boom, the government passed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1890. This act mandated that the government purchase a minimum of 4.5 million ounces of silver per month. The act caused silver prices to rise from US$0.935 per troy ounce in 1889 to US$1.21 per ounce in September 1890. Silver mining in Montana peaked in 1892, when Montana mines produced 19 million troy ounces of silver. In 1893, the last year of the silver boom, major mines in Montana produced the following amounts of silver (in millions of troy ounces): Butte 3.7; Alta 2.8; Granite-Bimetallic 2.4.
Decline of silver mining.
Although the United States was on the gold standard, the increased coinage of silver under the Sherman Silver Purchase Act was driving gold coins out of circulation, and drew US Treasury gold reserves down to a low level. After the Panic of 1893, which was partly blamed on an overabundance of silver coinage, President Grover Cleveland called an emergency session of Congress, which repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. This caused the amount of silver purchased to drop abruptly.
In Montana, many silver orebodies contained silver-enriched zones restricted to within a thousand feet of the surface, as shallow as a few hundred feet at some mines. Once mining went below the silver enriched zones, the silver content decreased dramatically. The majority of the deeper ores contained a high percentage of zinc, which was very costly because smelters charged a penalty of 50 cents per for each percent of zinc content in the silver that exceeded 12%. As the zinc content approached and exceeded 30 percent, the ore became uneconomic to mine.
Lower silver grade, increased zinc, and the increased expenses of pumping water from the deeper mine levels forced the Elkhorn mine to close down in 1894. The Granite-Bimetallic mines shut down in September 1893 because they had exhausted the ore. Additionally, the Alice, Lexington, Moulton, Alta, and Comet mines closed between 1893 and 1897 because of low silver prices following repeal of the Sherman Act. Some mines, such as the Hope and Castle mines, were able to remain open into the early 1890s due to the discoveries of new orebodies, but they had little success.
Montana silver prospers as a byproduct.
Despite the closure of silver mines, silver production continued as a byproduct. The copper mines at Butte, which produced considerable silver along with the copper, continued to prosper regardless of the price of silver. In the mid-1900s, the zinc which was a costly nuisance in the 1890s became valuable, and the deep levels of old silver mines became zinc mines, and produced the silver as a byproduct.


Hillsborough Resources

Hillsborough Resources Limited was a privately-held coal mining company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Hillsborough operated the Quinsam underground thermal coal mine near Campbell River, British Columbia from 1987, serving the local and west-coast United States cement industry, and the Crossville underground coal mine in Tennessee, United States serving the regional power utility and industrial markets. It also developed the Wapiti Thermal Coal mine near Tumbler Ridge. In addition, Hillsborough owned and operated the Middle Point Barge Loading Facility located on Vancouver Island, Canada.
The company's Crossville mine had discontinued operation by 2007, and the company closed the Quinsam mine in 2016 due to economic pressure, firing 66 people in the process.
It emerged out of bankruptcy protection in 2000 to fend off a takeover bid offering in 2000 $0.18 per share, by Vulcan Capital Management. However, effective December 21, 2009, Vitol Anker International B.V. of the Vitol Group acquired Hillsborough Resources Limited for $0.50 per share, plus inheriting all its debt.


Tonopah Mining District


A. E. de Silva

Albert Emmanuel de Silva Snr. was a prominent businessman during the late 19th century in Sri Lanka.
Business ventures.
He founded and was the sole proprietor of the A.E. de Silva and Co. in the late 19th century, which dealt in every description of Ceylonese produce: principally Plumbago (Graphite), Desiccated Coconut, Fibre, Cacao, Cinnamon and Tea. The main export business was done with the United Kingdom and the continent, through the firm's agents in London, Hamburg and other European ports.
Wealth.
Mr. de Silva was the owner of large estates and town properties. He owned over 6000 acres (720,000 perches) of cultivated land in coconuts, in cinnamon, over in rubber and in cacao. He owned much property in the Colombo and resided in his mansion 'Stephanotis' on Flower Road, which was later renamed after his son Sir Ernest de Silva. He was one of the richest Sri Lankans of the late 19th century and arguably the richest in the early 20th century.
Personal life.
He married the daughter of Emanis Gunasekere who was a successful businessman engaged in exporting. He was the father of the philanthropist Sir Ernest de Silva and therefore the Grandfather-in-law of Construction Magnate Mr. U.N.Gunasekera, making the lineage one of the oldest traditionally wealthy families in the country.


Kings Mountain Mine

The Kings Mountain Mine is one of the largest lithium mines in the United States. The mine is located in eastern United States in North Carolina. In 2013, it was reported that the Kings Mountain mine had reserves amounting to 45.6 million tonnes of lithium ore grading 0.7% lithium thus resulting 0.32 million tonnes of lithium.
In 2017 it was reported that the Kings Mountain pegmatite district had 5.9 million metric tons of lithium.


Lucky Jack mine

The Lucky Jack mine (formerly known as the Mount Emmons molybdenum property) is one of the largest molybdenum deposits in the United States. The mine is located West of Crested Butte, Colorado in Gunnison County, Colorado. The Molybrook mine has reserves amounting to 220 million tonnes of molybdenum ore grading 0.37% molybdenum thus resulting 814,000 tonnes of molybdenum.
History.
The unmined deposit was reported to be in the planning stage in 2007 with interests in the project from both U.S. Energy Corporation and Kobex Minerals Inc. The deposit was originally discovered in 1970s.
The Denver Post reported grassroots environmental groups, like the High County Citizens' Alliance and the Red Lady Coalition, actively opposing the planned work as of 2007. The groups pointed at expensive and poor cleanup attempts for similar mines in the area, one of which was listed as a Superfund site: Standard Mine.
In February 2016, a subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan, the operators of the Freeport Mine in Arizona, purchased the claim from U.S. Energy. This news was well received by the town and activist groups, because the new owners were willing to enter a cooperative MOU with both the local town and state and federal environmental regulators on care of the mine.


Pike River Mine disaster

The Pike River Mine disaster was a coal mining accident that began on 19 November 2010 in the Pike River Mine, northeast of Greymouth, in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island following a methane explosion at approximately 3:44 pm (NZDT, UTC+13). The accident resulted in the deaths of 29 miners whose remains have never been recovered.
The Pike River Mine incident ranks as New Zealand's worst mining disaster since 1914, when 43 men died at Ralph's Mine in Huntly. It also resulted in the country's worst loss of life caused by a single disaster since the 1979 crash of Air New Zealand Flight 901, although it was surpassed three months later by the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
At the time of the explosion 31 miners and contractors were below ground. Two miners managed to walk from the mine and were treated for moderate injuries. The remaining 16 miners and 13 contractors were believed to be at least from the mine's entrance at the time of the initial explosion.
Subsequent explosions on the 24th, 26th and 28 November ended any hopes of any further survivors and raised serious doubt that any bodies would ever be recovered.
In December 2012, Prime Minister John Key said he would apologise in person to the families of the dead, for the government's weak regulations and inadequate inspection regime.
In 2017 the Government established a new Pike River Recovery Agency, with re-entry expected by March 2019. It reported to the Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-entry, Andrew Little. Re-entry was expected to cost $23 million over three years. The agency took over the mine from Solid Energy, after it entered liquidation in mid-March 2018.
In February 2021, the Pike River Recovery Agency reported that it had reached a point 2.2km up the mine access tunnel to the site of a rockfall. This was the furthest point into the mine that the agency planned to go, and the work to this point had cost approximately $50million. On 23 March 2021, the Minister responsible for Pike River Re-entry, Andrew Little, stated that it was too hard and too expensive to go any further into the mine.
Accident and response.
Explosions.
The first explosion is believed to have occurred at around 3:44 pm on 19 November 2010. Methane may have accumulated in a void formed during earlier mining activities, then been expelled into the rest of the mine by a roof fall, or it may have accumulated directly in working areas of the mine. It is not known what sparked the explosion, but a working mine contains several possible ignition sources. Two miners managed to walk from the mine later the same day, having been in the access tunnel, or just off it, some distance from the source of the explosion. Both were taken to Greymouth Hospital suffering moderate injuries.
Initial media reports were unclear as to the number of miners and contractors remaining within the mine, with various numbers between 25 and 33 being mentioned. It was eventually ascertained that there were 16 miners and 13 contractors trapped. The names of the missing workers were released on 21 November 2010.
Mine officials noted that every worker carried a self-rescue device providing 30 minutes of air, and fresh air bases were provided within the mine for them to escape to in the event of an emergency; however, the refuges were empty and there was no evidence of miners attempting to reach them. When a borehole was drilled into the area where the miners were thought to be, a level of 95% methane was found, with the remainder primarily carbon monoxide. It appeared there was little chance that any of the miners who may have survived the blast could still be alive. Although families had held out hope that some of the miners may have survived, it was believed by the rescue team that all had been killed by the initial explosion. The mine had not collapsed and air was blowing freely throughout the tunnels indicating that there were no obstructions to survivors leaving the mine or indicating their presence by tapping on pipes or calling for help.
A second explosion occurred at 2:37 pm on 24 November 2010. Police Superintendent Gary Knowles stated that he believed no one could have survived. According to the CEO of the Pike River mine, Peter Whittall, the explosion was not caused by anybody working in or around the mine. The second explosion sent smoke, soot and explosive gases up a mine shaft where a team of rescue staff had been taking samples; the noise of the rising explosion provided them enough warning to get clear, evacuating the area on foot.
A third explosion occurred at 3:39 pm on 26 November 2010; it appeared to be smaller than the first two. A fourth significant explosion ignited the coal within the mine; the subsequent fire was visible above the ventilation shaft; the steel structure above the shaft was damaged and neighbouring scrub set alight. The fire appeared to be located near the bottom of the shaft, burning either loose coal or the seam itself, and considerably complicated efforts to stabilise the mine and made recovery of "intact" bodies unlikely.
Gas monitoring.
The initial explosion damaged the mine's gas drainage line, causing methane gas to begin accumulating in the mine immediately. As there may have been a potential ignition source, it was too dangerous for rescuers to enter the mine.
It was originally predicted to take several days before the mine was safe enough for rescuers to enter, as the gases inside were feared to be explosive. Initial testing at the mine ventilation shaft was hindered by heavy clouds, preventing helicopter access, and staff were going to have to walk in over rough terrain, as the shaft does not have road access.
Seismic equipment was attached to tubes at the tunnel mouth to detect movement in the mine.
With tests still not giving clearance for rescuers to enter the mine, an attempt was made to enter the mine using a bomb disposal robot provided by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF). The robot failed only into the mine due to water ingress. Sources noted that while the robot was capable of operating in rain, it had "effectively [been] hit by a waterfall", short-circuiting it. A second NZDF bomb disposal robot was placed on stand-by to enter. This robot had been fitted with extra batteries and other equipment to try to avoid the problems which hit the first robot. It was later deployed, and the first robot was later restarted. The robots entered the mine on 23 and 24 November 2010, while a third, from Australia, was en route to the site. The use of three robots was unprecedented in mine rescue. The use of United States mining rescue/exploration robots was also being considered though the second explosion later that day effectively ended the robot efforts.
Early on 24 November 2010, it was reported that a drill started from above the horizontal mine had reached to the mine chamber, releasing hot gas. Later in the day, it was reported analysis showed 95% methane. A camera, inserted into a safe haven in the mine, found no evidence of human activity.
Rescue response.
In accordance with the protocols established in New Zealand's Co-ordinated Incident Management System, the emergency response was led by New Zealand Police – in this case Superintendent Gary Knowles, District Commander of the Tasman region. In addition to police, "Operation Pike" involved staff and management from Pike River Coal Ltd, the company operating the mine (represented at media and family conferences by CEO Peter Whittall), mine rescue experts from New Zealand and Australia, the Red Cross, ambulance services, the New Zealand Defence Force, and the Fire Service. The recovery phase was led by Inspector Mark Harrison, with Knowles in charge overall.
A welfare centre was set up at the Red Cross Hall in Greymouth for the families of the trapped men. Police encouraged families to use this centre rather than trying to reach the mine's access road, which was closed to everyone except emergency services. After several days of delays in entering the mine, some locals expressed anger at what they considered the undue cautiousness of the rescue teams, noting that in historical accidents the rescue efforts were undertaken by fellow miners. In response to the continued criticism from various media and local families for their refusal to send rescuers into the mine, Trevor Watts, leader of the Mines Rescue, explained the team's belief that any rescuers would have also been killed given the conditions within the mine. Their cautious approach was supported by many international mine rescue experts.
Both the Australian and New Zealand stock exchanges placed trading halts on Pike River Coal (PRC) shares following the first explosion to allow the company time to "provide the market with a detailed update". PRC's largest shareholder New Zealand Oil & Gas, which owns 29.4%, was also placed on a trading halt for two days; upon reinstatement the shares lost 29% of their value. PRC's shares were halted for 13 days. On 2 December 2010, when New Zealand held a nationwide moment of silence, including at the stock exchange, PRC's suspension was inadvertently allowed to end and about 200,000 share trades were later invalidated.
The first explosion was classified as a "highly, highly irregular event", and the New Zealand Prime Minister John Key immediately announced the government would hold an inquiry into its cause. It was later announced that the government would appoint a Royal Commission of Inquiry. In addition, the police and the coroner would conduct investigations – as required by law – as would the Department of Labour.
On 24 November 2010 at 9:00 p.m., a service was held at the Holy Trinity Church in Greymouth, where hundreds of people gathered to mourn the loss of the workers. People at the service included Peter Whittall (CEO of Pike River Coal Ltd) and Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn who delivered a message from Pope Benedict XVI, saying that he shared the anxiety of the miners' families and that his prayers were with them. Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, sent to John Key a note expressing her condolences for the families of the deceased and calling the event a "national disaster", and her grandson, Prince William, sent a similar message to Key.
A number of countries worldwide expressed their condolences, including the United Kingdom, Australia (where the Australian Parliament observed a moment's silence and flags were flown at half mast, in conjunction with New Zealand), and the United States.
Recovery operation.
A Gorniczy Agregat Gasniczy (GAG) unit from Queensland, accompanied by 16 crew from Queensland Mines Rescue Service, was brought in on 26 November 2010 by the RNZAF, to be used in an attempt to suppress the fires. It was expected to take three days to assemble, and about five days for the fire-retardant emitted from the unit to fill the mine.
On 10 December 2010, Police Commissioner Howard Broad said that the police intended to hand control of the recovery operation at the mine to the company. On 13 January 2011, Howard Broad told a media conference that the recovery of the bodies of the miners would be halted as it was impractical and too unsafe. Responsibility for securing the mine would be left with the receivers of Pike River Coal.
On 14 January 2011, the police announced that the mine had been sealed as it was too dangerous to continue efforts to retrieve the bodies of the missing miners and contractors. On 17 January 2011, the receivers advised the police that their plan was to spend the next five to eight weeks stabilising the atmosphere in the mine and the underground heat sources. The plan did not include recovery of the bodies of the deceased miners. On 17 January 2011, it was further confirmed that recovery of the bodies was unlikely. On 9 March 2011, the receivers took control of the mine from the New Zealand Police. During inspection and recovery attempts, several robotic vehicles have been sent into the mine, but all four failed within the mine, for reasons such as water ingress into their electronics, or getting stuck.
In February 2013, a panel of experts, including representatives from Solid Energy, the government and families of the deceased, met to discuss whether retrieval of the bodies would be possible if they had the necessary funding. They came to the conclusion it could be done, and the government promised to fund the effort if its High Hazards Unit agreed. In October 2013, Solid Energy with the assistance of the New Zealand Defence Force started the Pike re-entry project in an effort to send mine rescue and other experts 2.3 km into the drift access tunnel and close to the debris blockage caused by a roof fall. The following year WorkSafe wrote to Solid Energy stating that the re-entry plan made at that time was "safe and technically feasible"; and this became public knowledge the following month, in September 2014. In November 2014, Solid Energy announced the decision to not re-enter the mine due to safety concerns, saying that if rescuers re-entered there was an unmanageable risk that more people would die.
Victims.
The 29 men ranged in age from 17 to 62. The youngest, Joseph Dunbar, was on his first shift underground after celebrating his 17th birthday the previous day. Dunbar had been due to start work at the mine on 22 November 2010 but had convinced management to allow him to start on 19 November 2010. Of the 29, 24 were New Zealanders, two were Scottish, two were Australian, and one was South African. The 24 New Zealanders were predominantly West Coasters, though they also included one Southlander.
The victims included, among others, Grey District Councillor Milton Osborne and two West Coast representative sportsmen, South Island rugby league player Blair Sims and West Coast Rugby Union player Michael Monk. One of the trapped miners, Benjamin Rockhouse, was the brother of survivor Daniel Rockhouse, one of the two men who walked clear of the mine after the initial explosion.
Aftermath.
The New Zealand Warriors and Newcastle Knights opened their 2011 season schedule with a charity match to raise money for the West Coast region. In a joint partnership between the two teams, the NZRL and NRL, all money raised from the match was divided between the Pike River mining relief fund and the West Coast Rugby League. The teams arrived on 3 February 2011 to carry out community appearances in the region. The Crusaders also announced that they would play their first home match of the 2011 Super Rugby season in the West Coast Rugby Union jersey. These were later auctioned off to raise money for the Pike River mining relief fund.
On 17 March 2011, after attending a national memorial service for the earthquake in Christchurch, Prince William visited Greymouth and met families affected by the disaster.
On 27 June 2011, "The Australian" featured an article titled "Miners doomed by fatal flaws" which alleged that Peter Whittall had not ensured the Pike River Mine had installed safety measures common in Australia, but not legally required in New Zealand. The possible safety measures not used in the Pike River Mine were; a "tube bundle" gas monitoring system, stocks of food and water, breathing apparatus, and a second escape route. Whittall has consistently maintained that safety standards were high. A former mine supervisor alleged that miners continued to work when the methane gas concentrations exceeded the threshold of 2%. It is also alleged that the miners routinely blew compressed air over the methane alarms to prevent them from triggering.
In November 2013, the Christchurch-based journalist Rebecca Macfie published the book "Tragedy at Pike River Mine: How and Why 29 Men Died", based on research and interviews into the causes of the disaster.
Several commentators criticised successive National and Labour Party governments for deregulating safety in the mining sector and some also argued that the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU), which had several members at Pike River, did not do enough to prevent the tragedy. In the days after the explosion, EPMU leader Andrew Little (who later became Labour Party leader) said there had been no problems at Pike River Coal and defended its safety record.
Royal Commission.
In November 2010, Prime Minister John Key announced that the Government would conduct a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the disaster, to be led by Justice Graham Panckhurst. Unionist Matt McCarten criticised the composition of the commission on the grounds that it should have at least one union member, which government had refused, arguing that including union members would risk bias. On 13 December 2010, Attorney-General Chris Finlayson announced the names of the two people to join Judge Pankhurst on the Royal Commission of Inquiry: Stewart Bell, the Queensland State Government Commissioner for Mine Safety and Health; and David Henry, formerly Inland Revenue Commissioner and Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission. The Royal Commission was originally expected to report its findings by March 2012.
On 30 October 2012, the Chair of the Royal Commission, the Hon Justice Pankhurst presented the Royal Commission report to the Attorney-General Chris Finlayson in Wellington.
The Royal Commission's Final Report was released to the public on 5 November 2012. Later that day, the Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson resigned her portfolio in response to the conclusion that the regulation and inspection of mining by the Department of Labour had failed to prevent the accident.
The former directors John Dow, Ray Meyer, Stuart Nattrass and former chief executive Peter Whittall rejected accusations of running an unsafe mine and said they disagreed with the Royal Commission's conclusion that the directors had not acted properly over health and safety at the mine. Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn blamed the mine managers.
On 12 December 2012, the Government released a plan to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission.
Prosecutions.
In November 2010, the Police and the Department of Labour began investigating the accident for grounds for prosecution. The investigation involved a team of up to 15 staff who conducted more than 200 interviews. In November 2011, the Department of Labour formally initiated the prosecution of three parties under the Health Safety and Employment Act: Pike River Coal Limited (in receivership), VLI Drilling Pty Limited (Valley Longwall International) and Peter William Whittall for 25 charges of alleged health and safety failures associated with the accident.
On 31 July 2012, the contracting company Valley Longwall International pleaded guilty in the Greymouth District Court to three health and safety charges. The receivers for Pike River Coal Limited advised that the company would not enter a plea to the charges. Peter Whittall did not appear in court for his 12 health and safety charges and his case was adjourned to October 2012. On 25 October 2012, Peter Whittall entered not guilty pleas. On 26 October 2012, Valley Longwall International, who had lost three employees in the mine, was fined $46,800.
In July 2013, Pike River Coal was ordered to pay $110,000 to each of the victims' families and fined $760,000. In the end it did not pay the fine and only paid $5,000 to each family, saying it did not have the money.
In December 2013, charges were dropped against ex-Pike River boss Peter Whittall. Instead, Whittall and Pike River Coal offered a voluntary payment on behalf of the directors and officers of the company to the families of the men and two survivors. Prosecutors claimed there was a lack of evidence against Whittall. Some family members criticised the decision to drop charges and in August 2016 two family members sought a judicial review of the decision.
The disaster has led to calls for New Zealand to introduce a crime of corporate manslaughter, and in 2013 Labour leader Andrew Little introduced a private members' into the ballot that would introduce a new crime modelled on the United Kingdom's Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act. Simester and Brookbanks wrote in their criminal law textbook:[D]isasters like Pike River seem to point inexorably towards the need to better regulate the activities of corporate managers and to create a stronger safety culture around workplace environments. Corporate manslaughter ought to be considered, together with other regulatory mechanisms, as means of better protecting employees and members of the public from corporate negligence and unsafe practices.
On 23 November 2017 the NZ Supreme Court ruled that the arrangement by WorkSafe to drop all charges against Pike River mine CEO Peter Whittall conditional on payment of $3.41 million was an agreement to prevent the prosecution and therefore unlawful. Police had already decided not to press criminal [nuisance] charges against Whittall. Counsel for Whittall [Stuart Grieve QC] had proposed a voluntary payment instead of a plea bargain, conditional on WorkSafe agreeing not to proceed against Whittall, the court said. "If accepted this proposal would undoubtedly have constituted a bargain to stifle prosecution.
On 23 November 2020, the third anniversary of the November 2017 Supreme Court decision that ruled that the 2014 decision by WorkSafe to drop all charges against former Pike River mine boss Peter Whittall was unlawful, the New Zealand Law Society confirmed in a letter to former lawyer Christopher Harder, who lodged a formal complaint in October 2020, that the matter was being referred to a Standards Committee "for consideration of commencing an investigation of its own motion". The complaint, viewed by the NZ Herald, claims that Whittall's lawyer Stuart Grieve QC and then Crown Prosecutor for Christchurch Brent Stanaway, brought the legal profession into disrepute by entering into an "unlawful agreement to pay money for the dropping of all charges" and "stifling a prosecution by deliberately misleading and deceiving the sentencing judge [District Court Judge Jane Farish]". Harder told Stuff "I hope the fact that the Law Society is finally looking at this unlawful agreement to stifle the WorkSafe prosecutions gives the deceased miners families here some little peace of mind and a little hope that there might still be a little justice to come." Harder did not wish to be considered the complainant or a party to the complaint, but described himself to the law society as "a messenger". He felt the society should have begun this investigation without his correspondence."
Mine re-entry.
After an agreement was signed between New Zealand's major political parties in Wellington on 15 August 2017, soon-to-be Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern pledged that a manned re-entry of the mine would be conducted with the object of recovering bodies and investigating the cause of the explosion. Meanwhile, preparations for a robotic entry later in the year continued.
On 20 November 2017, Minister for Pike Mine Re-entry Andrew Little announced the creation of a stand-alone government department called the Pike River Recovery Agency to explore plans to re-enter the mine and recover the bodies of the deceased miners.
On 31 January 2018, the Pike River Recovery Agency formally came into existence with its headquarters being in Greymouth. On 19 April 2018, Little, as Minister for Pike Mine Re-entry, entered the mine's portal with Pike Family representatives Anna Osborne and Sonya Rockhouse to demonstrate that a safe re-entry was possible. He vowed that the coalition Government would re-enter the drift to recover evidence and the remains of the deceased miners.
On 21 May 2019, a mine recovery team led by Pike River Recovery Agency chief operating officer Dinghy Pattinson re-entered the mine for the first time since 2010, breaking the concrete seal to the mine drift. Body recovery and forensic operations are expected to take several months. The mine re-entry was marked by family members releasing 29 yellow balloons and calling out the names of those who died. Re-entry and recovery operations will consist of three phases. The first team of miners will re-enter to assess hazards and to establish infrastructure for supporting the roofs and sides of the drift. A second forensically-focused mining team will then enter the mine to examine and remove any evidential material. A third team will provide mining services including gas monitoring, communications lines and ventilation bags. Once completed, the site is expected to be refurbished and handed back to the Department of Conservation.
On 10 June 2020, Minister for Pike Mine Re-entry Andrew Little announced that it was "impractical" to expect the remains of the fallen miners to be recovered. Instead, recovery efforts would focus on gathering evidence for the homicide case. The cost of the recovery project had risen from NZ$23 million to NZ$35 million, with concerns that the figure could reach NZ$50 million.
On 17 February 2021, the Pike River Recovery Agency abandoned plans to recover the bodies of fallen miners after reaching the roof fall 2.26 kilometers up the mine's access tunnel. The Agency would instead focus on conducting forensic work in the Pit Bottom in Stone area in support of the New Zealand Police investigation. On 23 March 2021, the Minister responsible for Pike River Re-entry, Andrew Little, stated that it was too hard and too expensive to go any further into the mine.
Legacy.
The disaster was the primary motivator in updating New Zealand's health and safety legislation, resulting in establishment of WorkSafe New Zealand in December 2013 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
The Blackball Museum of Working Class History includes a memorial wheel dedicated to those who have died at work in New Zealand, with a special section for the miners who died in the Pike River Mine disaster. It was the site of a memorial service to mark the fourth anniversary of the event; wreaths were laid and a choir performed a piece dedicated to the victims.


Zhongjin Lingnan

Shenzhen Zhongjin Lingnan Nonfemet Co., Ltd. known as Zhongjin Lingnan in China or their English name Nonfemet (abbreviation of non-ferrous metal), is a Chinese company engaged in the mining and processing of lead, zinc and other non-ferrous metals. In 2015 financial year, the company also had 0.49% revenue from real estate development.
Lingnan is a word refer to southern China, including Guangdong province, while Zhongjin literally means China metal. As at 11 November 2016, Zhongjin Lingnan is a constituents of SZSE 100 Index and CSI 300 Index.
History.
The firm was established in Shenzhen, Guangdong province in 1984, as a subsidiary of state-owned enterprise (The national corporation dissolved in 1998, which provincial government takeover the management role). Its production base is in Shaoguan, Guangdong province, China. Zhongjin Lingnan also purchased a Canadian company as well as a company in Australia.
Recent Developments.
Zhongjin Lingnan was a signatory of a joint statement by ten of the world's top zinc producers published in 2015. In that statement, the zinc producers pledged to cut their output by 500,000 tonnes in 2016 in order to reduce overcapacities in the market and increase zinc prices.
Due to low metal prices, the company announced it would cut 100 jobs at its Australian Broken Hill mine in New South Wales, which it had acquired in 2013.


Holditch Colliery disaster

The Holditch Colliery disaster was a coal mining accident on 2 July 1937, in Chesterton, Staffordshire, England, in which 30 men died and eight were injured. It was caused by a fire and subsequent explosions, and was exacerbated by a decision from management to risk the lives of mine workers to try to save the coal seam.
The colliery.
Archaeologists believe that the area itself was mined as long ago as Roman times.
Holditch Colliery, also known as Brymbo Colliery, opened in 1912, and was one of a number of coal mines in Staffordshire. It was located around two miles north west of Newcastle-under-Lyme. Formerly the main employer in Chesterton, the colliery employed 1,500 men and mined ironstone in addition to coal. With varying amounts of coal coming out of the colliery per year, in 1947 it hit 400,000 tonnes. In many ways an old-fashioned mine, steam power was in some form used up until 1980. It was believed to have been the most gassy colliery in Britain. The colliery consisted of two 2,000 feet deep shafts, sunk in 1912 and 1916, working Great Row and the Four Feet seams.
Despite heavy investment in the 1960s and 1970s the colliery closed down in 1990, just three years after the end of the year long miners' strike. Just before its closure it was taking out over 500,000 tonnes of coal a year. Many of the miners transferred to nearby Silverdale Colliery, which itself closed down on Christmas Eve 1998. The current site of Holditch Colliery is now a large business park.
Disaster.
At around 5:45 am on 2 July 1937, two coal cutter men (Herman Payne and William Beardmore) were working when Beardmore noticed a flame. The flame spread quickly across the coalface into a deadly wall of fire. The two men quickly fled and actually survived the disaster which was about to strike.
Of the 55 men working in the vicinity of the fire, all but two managed to escape (W.Hystead and Arthur Stanton). The two men became lost in the smoke, which eventually overcame them. The remaining 53 men attempted in vain to extinguish the fire, with the timber supports ablaze and threatening roof collapse, the overman ordered the stone dust to be dumped and spread about as near to the fire as possible. These efforts also proved futile and so the men retreated further back and took a roll call - revealing the absence of Hystead and Stanton. By now the fire had taken hold and the two men were feared lost.
Whilst the men were fighting a losing battle against the fire, day shift officials, who had been informed of the fire, arrived on the scene. One of these men, H.Bentley, ordered a night shift ripper, John Hassell, to meet him at the right hand gate. Here an explosion occurred at around 6:50, leaving Bentley with burns and killing Hassell. Bentley recruited collier E.Beech to help him search for Hassell, but they failed to find him.
Explosions occurring in the mine, a full evacuation was ordered. By around 7:10 the men met in the main crut. The manager ordered for stoppings to be put on in the cruts, and sand, stone and dust was brought in for this purpose. Ten minutes later the night-shift workers were sent home, as the day-shift workers began work on the stoppings. The management team began inspecting the mine to decide upon a further course of action. Mr. Cocks, the managing director, ordered that the location of the stoppings be changed, despite disagreement from his team. This proved to be a fatal decision, as the new location was in unsettled ground. The original plan by Mr.Davies, was to put two stopping dams in solid ground, and would allow for easy transportation of materials at a distance of less than 500 yards from the pit bottom. The revised plan Mr.Cocks ordered meant erecting three such dams in unstable ground, also providing air to the fire, and requiring a travelling distance of 1,300 yards for essential tools and equipment. The reason taken for this new plan was to save the coal seam.
By now 9:00, two government inspectors, Mr.Finney and Mr. Bloor, arrived on the scene, joining Davies at the pit bottom. Ten minutes later a sixth explosion occurred, though the 35 men who were in the mine continued in their work, along with the three missing men believed to be lost. Shortly before 10:10 a seventh small explosion occurred, followed by an eighth, and deadly blast. The eighth explosion had sent men working 1,000 yards away to the ground, reversing the ventilation system, and killing thirty men, badly burning the remaining eight.
Men who lost their lives.
Adkins, H.L. (35) undermanager.

Bloor, James Alfred (51) H.M. Sub-Inspector of Mines.

Cocks, John (57) managing director.

Condliffe, Percey (35) collier.

Cooke, Josiah (37) collier.

Cooper, Albert Leslie (30) collier.

Cornes, Albert Edward (26) haulage hand.

Finney, Harold John (41) H.M. Senior Inspector of Mines.

Forrester, J.W. (40) Hanley Rescue Brigade.

Harris, Thomas Ernest (46) Hanley Rescue Brigade.

Harvey, John (39) fireman.

Hassell, John (35) ripper.

Haystead, William (45) packer.

Hodkinson, William Stanley (38) underground mechanic.

Hough, W. (37) Hanley Rescue Brigade.

Howle, Frederick John (36) collier.

Jackson, Reginald (35) collier.

Johnstone, Harry (34) overman.

Jones, Ernest (51) fireman.

Jones, Thomas Henry (28) collier.

Latham, Samuel Henry (28) Hanley Rescue Brigade.

Maiyer, Abel (39) underground mechanic.

Mitchell, Henry (44) underground mechanic.

Pepper, William (39) fireman.

Pickerill, George Thomas (30) ripper.

Price, Charles (33) collier.

Rushton, George Thomas (41) ripper.

Seaton, Albert Warwick (26) collier.

Stanton, Arthur R. (31) packer.

Turner, Frank (22) underground electrician.
Men who escaped with injuries.
Bentley, Harry (47) fireman.

Birchall, Harry (34) collier.

Bloor, Percey (49) fireman.

Davies, John Owen (45) manager.

Edwards, George (29) collier.

Lightfoot, Job (33) Hanley Rescue Brigade.

Salt, Frederick Charles (39) collier.

Stanier, George (37) collier.
Aftermath.
On 19 October 1937 Scottish Football League champions Rangers travelled to the Victoria Ground to play Stoke City in a benefit match for the victims of the disaster, raising £2,000 for the relief fund.
Today a memorial stands to the victims at Apedale Heritage Centre.
Investigation.
The first plan was the safest course of action, however the second plan was adopted to save profits at the risk of lives.
The original fire was concluded to have originated in the coal cutting machine and was due to frictional heat produced by the picks in the cut. The explosions were caused by firedamp.
Later tragedies.
Between 1949 and 1967 eleven more deaths were recorded. Most of these were due to roof falls.


Panantza mine

The Panantza mine is a large copper mine located in the south of Ecuador in Zamora-Chinchipe Province. Panantza represents one of the largest copper reserve in Ecuador and in the world having estimated reserves of 463 million tonnes of ore grading 0.66% copper.