A slip at Newmont Waihi Gold has forced the temination of a contract with Macmahon Contractors (NZ) Ltd.
Newmont announced this morning that a slip on the north wall of the Martha open pit in early April suspended mining activities.
This ensured workers were not at risk while management evaluated options for and allowed possibly resuming safe production from Martha.
A statement released today said initial geotechnical investigations had shown that it may be possible to gain access and resume safe production. However, it would take some time to gain a complete understanding prior to any decision being made. Due to the time needed to reach a decision regarding the resumption of safe production from the Martha pit, Newmont Waihi Gold must terminate its contract with Macmahon Contractors (NZ) Ltd.
Before the slip in April, mining in the open pit was originally scheduled to end in the first quarter of 2016.
Underground mining and milling continues.