Right on, the coal did not live up to its specifications. I can’t quite remember the details but there was a band of low grade material in between two layers of coal or something like that and they couldn’t figure out how to get the better quality stuff out without it getting contaminated with the rubbish stuff, and also the forecasts of how much coal was in the mine appeared to be way out as well.

Brilliant news, fantastic stuff. Now let’s knock the top off the hill, bring the boys out and export 7 billion dollars of coal.

Yes, let’s spend $10-20 billion to export $7billion in coal.

There was never a business case for an open cut mine at Pike River, conservation land or not. To be honest, there probably wasn’t a case for an underground mine either – they never did get around to making money for the shareholders.
Now the government has given Solid Energy a big liability just before they sell part of it – pretty cunning if you ask me. I wouldn’t touch the shares with a barge pole.

The Mixed Ownership Model would apply to four energy companies, with Mighty River Power the first to be floated for sale in the third quarter of this year, as long as market conditions permitted. Solid Energy, Meridian Energy and Genesis would follow.

Will all share holders in Solid Energy get even dividends and pay for body recovery or just those holding 51%

How much more would the receivers have made on the sale if the damned fool commitment to recover bodies had NOT been included?

And one hell of a way to drive down the price!

But its good business sense to buy assets that make the country money wouldn’t you think?

yesterday on radio live i heard a headline “blah blah whos son died at pike river was made redundant today” ffs. we get it. people died. very sad. but for the love of god just shut up