PAK Górnictwo starts drilling

The mining company PAK Górnictwo sp. z o.o. was established on 30 October 2008 under an agreement between ZE PAK SA and PAK Centrum Badań Jakości sp. z o.o. with the primary aim of securing a fuel base for the power generating units of ZE PAK SA. As a result of its efforts, the management of PAK Górnictwo sp. z o.o. identified deposits that might be important for the company’s activities. The efforts included analysing and verifying available geological documentation, based on which an application was filed for a licence to prospect for and explore brown coal deposits in the Poniec-Krobia and Oczkowice areas. The company was granted a prospecting and exploration licence for the above region in May 2011. After the appeal procedure had been exhausted, the decision of the licensing authority became final and PAK Górnictwo sp. z o.o. could apply to the District Mining Office in Poznan for approval of the so-called Operation Plan covering the drilling of 128 boreholes to identify the size and calorific quality of the coal seams. On 25 October 2011, the Operation Plan was approved by a decision of the Director of the District Mining Office, and thus the company had fulfilled all requirements to be met before field work could begin. On 8 November 2011, Geofizyka Toruń sp. z o.o., a geological contractor, began drilling the first exploratory borehole with a diameter of 132 mm and a depth of about 170 metres. Stage one of the project will involve drilling boreholes to depths ranging from 125 metres to about 285 metres. Drilling one hole can take from four to seven days depending on its depth. By the end of 2012, the PAK Górnictwo sp. z o.o. plans to have completed 128 boreholes.