W Australia Seeks Advice On Possible BHP Nickel Mine Closure
June 30 2009 - 10:48PM
Dow Jones News
The Western Australian state government said Wednesday that it
is seeking urgent advice on whether BHP Billiton Ltd.'s (BHP.AU)
Perseverance nickel mine should be allowed to continue operating
after two rockfalls this month.
BHP has already been issued with a notice prohibiting it from
operating a section of the mine deemed to be at risk.
Western Australian Mines and Petroleum Minister Norman Moore
said he had asked the State Mining Engineer for advice on whether
there is any reason to stop the mine from continuing
operations.
"This could mean that further, independent engineering studies
are required to determine if those parts of the mine that are
currently closed can be reopened," he said in a statement.
A spokesman for Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson said
the minister would be seeking a briefing from BHP in relation to
this latest incident and a spate of accidents at its operations in
Western Australia.
A spokesman for BHP said that, after carrying out an assessment,
the company has now restarted operations in most parts of the
Perseverance mine but that operations close to the latest rockfall
remain suspended while a comprehensive assessment is carried
out.
-By Alex Wilson, Dow Jones Newswires; 61-3-9292-2094;
alex.wilson@dowjones.com