Mountain Moved

Oceana Gold has probably lowered the Globe Hill, overlooking the Reefton area, by about 33 million tonnes of rock and rubble since it reopened the Globe Progress Mine three and a half years ago. In the quarter ending June 30, machinery moved almost 3.4 million tonnes of earth to win 375,000 tonnes of gold-bearing ore, which was then rendered down to 26,037 ounces of gold. Since it was reopened in 2007 the mine has produced a grand total of 250,000 ounces of gold, valued at $400 million at today’s prices. If the same tonnage of earth was shifted to win each ounce of gold, 32.7 million tonnes of the Globe Hill would have moved from one point to another. When the pioneers mined Globe Progress by hand it produced 418,000 ounces before repeated tunnel collapses caused its closure in 1920.