Dangers Of Opal Mining

[petersopal]

I have been mining opals for about 11 years now.im 26 years old
Its dangerous occupation and lot people dont realise we put our lives at risk everyday to find opals.
2 years ago i lost good mate ,he was only 18 and we were propping up to support the roof,this envolves timber supports and caps to stop roof from falling in.
There was a big fault line going up at 45 degrees in the roof that slid out and buried him alive ,and took 5 hours to get him out.
we were devastated.
It was 12 months before and someone else got kiled in the same claim..
it has good opal in it,but we sometimes pay with our lives.
About 2 people each year die mining and so many bad mining accidents every day.
The SES,state emergency service,do great jop in helping people injuried,but mines are in the outback and takes long time to go out.
every year i go to few funerals so next time you think opals getting expensive think of my mates

[jackie]

I really had no idea that opal mining was so dangerous
so i will enjoy my opals and appreciate them more now.
Are you making good living opal mining?
be careful...

[petersopal]

I will be careful jackie...3 years we found good pocket opal at Dead Bird,$40,000,but i had to share with 3 other guys and since than no good finds just cash enough for petrol and living expenses..I reckon for last 5 years i would not have made average wages ,but enjoy lifestyle and maybe oneday i wil lget lucky!

[jackie]

Ok .im going to buy one of your lucky opals soon..so i have booked mark your page...

[danielle]

hell, i'm 28 and the only thing i've done for eleven years is smoke... we appreciate your effort, and I am sorry for the toll it has taken on you already, you'll find your pocket, yet.

My curiosity is getting to me, though. Does your family have a cluster of "stick" houses (like a village/town) as well as outpost shelters? You obviously have internet access, but what do you live without? How isolated are you? Do you plan on doing this forever, if not, then what? hmm... what an incredible life...

danielle

[petersopal]

Hi Danielle ,i also smoke...hand rolls.Yes its tough life here,like ur wild west days ,well no guns here planty kangaroos. lightning ridge is 1,000 kilometers inland and desert like arizona,but no cactus plants.
people move here for lifestyle and opal mining ,always chance to hit big pocket.
today im in my dads house he has elecricity and satelite dish for internet as too hot to opalmine.hes at tuscon gem show now.
my camp is few miles out town,i share with my girlfriend.its shack made of tin and timber ,we have small tank water and no electricity,but we have generator but its costing $100 to $150 per week in fuel so i want to move closer where i can get electricity.we had tv but it blew up when generator ran out fuel..but i dont enjoy tv anyway,so much rubish on.
Im hooked on opalmining for good now so dont want to do anything else.
if it wasnt 44 degrees now i would be out mining now..my dad and uncle are all into opals so its in my blood i think.im going to cut some opal rough now,so thanks for asking danielle .. Peter

[Guest]

Peter you have a very interesting lifestyle, can i ask if you dont have water what do you do for washing and toilet???
i just ahd to ask..
One day your turn will come to fing big parcel.. cherry

[petersopal]

Hello Cherry ,water is scarce and valuable out here..we have artisean water but not on my camp.it comes up from deep bores but water is boiling hot..
most houses have this but water so hot ,boliing hot.even cold water is hot that you cant drink..thats why difficult just to have shower as too hot.Artesian water also stinks so we leave in cup for smell to go away overnight.
my camp dosnt have artesian water just small container for collecting rain water..
maybe thats why pub sells so much beer ,its wet and cold...
well my toilet is how can i say this ..on top of old mine shaft..
yes we have 30ft deep mine shaft near and have built tin room on top and use long...use your imagination..noones fallen in yet.. bye Peter

[petersopal]

I can tell yuo about opal mine next to my claim .
A miner was killed riding his bucket up a few years ago and the mine hasnt been worked since.
The shaft is about one meter wide by 30 meter deep.there is a bucket on a hoist that lifts the dirt up to the surface.each bucket is about a wheelburrow load.the dirt is lifted up and is dumped into a truck..when the truck is full we drive it to a wash site to clean the dirt out and look for the opals that are left.
well he rode the bucket up to the top,which you shoudnt do.he was trying to save time from climbing out up the ladder..well we think his foot got stuck in the bucket as he went right to the top and was dumped out of the bucket into the top of the truck which was fully loaded.so when thrown out of the bucket he rolled off the truck and went down his air shaft ,which was next to the truck,and fell 30 meters to his death.
So i little short cut cost him his life....peter

[opalgraphics co]

Peter ,take it easy a the Ridge.i see its 45 degrees out there today,whats that 120 farenhite.?
last year we worked at Koriot in summer ,but ill never do it again.got up to 50 degrees,and didnt find much opal.
Everything you touched was hot,we could cook and egg on car bonnet.
We had a new kubota generator 50 HP but it blew up.
we sent it back and were giving another new one.
The oil had liquidfied,so it was like water and didnt cool the engine down so it cracked the head.
Go to the Pub. adrian

[petersopal]

Adrian.yes i had to visit pub to cool down!!
Do you remember about 2 years ago the miner next to Phils mine at Koriot who was murdered on his site?
I know they caught the guy who did it,and this week a runner at lighning ridge is offerring the rough left over on behalf of his wife.
There is 45 tonees .lower grade drums for $1,000 and better quality drums for $5,000.
Do you know where it is? or if someone else knows?
would be interesting material?
peter

[opalgraphics co]

No idea about that amount opal,havent heard anything.why would they still have it after few years?

[petersopal]

Adrian ,that reminds me of another story.
about 5-7 years ago there was husband and wife team mining black opals at lightning ridge.
i heard the story that he had dug down to 50 foot level and was balloning out.
the ladder that they used to go up and down the shaft was 6 ft to long ,so he decided to cut it off as he wasnt going to dig any deeper.
he yelled to his wife to drop the angle grinder down so he could cut the feet off the ladder.
well she didnt send it down in bucket or tied to rope and let it down gently,she just threw it down...
It hit her husband on the head and that was the end of him.
Is there a lesson in this?

[luv gems]

have you guys ever been envolved in syndicates for black opal mining? or mining for boulder opal?
Say you have half dozen investors invest working capital for opalmining.
Has it been done ? has anyone found opal this way?
Im sure people would have money to invest on venture like this.

[petersopal]

I dont know of any syndicates to go opal mining.
at lighning ridge there are lots partnerships formed to go opal mining ,but all partners work in mine.
its is risky business .
if joined group investors together i dont know how it would work in profit sharing etc.
With open cut mining it is very expensive.
Bonds required by mines department are now over $100,000.so after you finished mining you have to bring site back to original condition so the hole has to be filled in and vegitation planted again to get your bond back.
Cats go thru $1,000 per day in fuel.,ive heard plansfor open cut mining back at the cochran area ,and due start soon.