lignites and coal
The Southland region contains New Zealand's largest coal resource, comprising mostly of lignite deposits situated in the Eastern Southland plains, Waituna-Ashers area, the Ohai coalfield in central Southland and several minor fields. Southland has 60% of New Zealand's total in-ground coal resources (9,392 Mt) and represents 72% of New Zealand's recoverable resource (6,257 Mt).
Currently, Southland coals are mined on a small scale, predominantly for local industrial and domestic use. There is, however, potential for these resources to be employed in large scale operations, including liquid fuels conversion using the Fisher-Tropsch process of gasification technology to produce chemicals such as Urea and electrical energy from process heat.
| Coalfield |
Coal Rank |
Measured |
Indicated |
Inferred |
Total |
| |
|
Mt |
PJ 000 |
Mt |
PJ 000 |
Mt |
PJ 000 |
Mt |
PJ 000 |
| Gore |
Lignite |
0 |
0 |
205 |
2.38 |
39 |
0.45 |
244 |
2.83 |
| Croyden |
Lignite |
0 |
0 |
333 |
3.87 |
0 |
0 |
333 |
3.87 |
| Waimumu |
Lignite |
0 |
0 |
233 |
2.71 |
0 |
0 |
233 |
2.71 |
| Mataura |
Lignite |
0 |
0 |
1945 |
22.58 |
0 |
0 |
1945 |
22.6 |
| Edendale |
Lignite |
0 |
0 |
290 |
3.37 |
205 |
2.38 |
495 |
5.75 |
| Morton Mains |
Lignite |
0 |
0 |
547 |
6.35 |
0 |
0 |
547 |
6.35 |
| Waimatua |
Lignite |
0 |
0 |
834 |
9.69 |
0 |
0 |
834 |
9.69 |
| Ashers Waituna |
Lignite |
0 |
0 |
746 |
8.64 |
0 |
0 |
746 |
8.64 |
| Makarewa |
Lignite |
0 |
0 |
563 |
6.54 |
3 |
3 |
821 |
9.53 |
| Ohai and Orepuki |
Sub Bituminous |
0.76 |
0.02 |
37.3 |
0.75 |
0.4 |
0.41 |
59.2 |
1.18 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| TOTAL Southland |
0.76 |
0.02 |
5733 |
66.9 |
522 |
6.2 |
6257 |
73.1 |
| TOTAL New Zealand |
571 |
9.5 |
7214 |
94.2 |
860 |
14.1 |
8645 |
118 |
Source: MED