Interestingly, we saw a very similar sentiment set-up in September-October 2009, when we wrote A Gold Mine is a Hole in the Ground with a Liar on Top.

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The multinational digger has just confirmed it has let the trucks roam free at the Nammuldi iron ore mine, a hole in the ground located in more or less the middle of nowhere, as the nearest town, Tom Price, is 60km away.

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Another challenge, Denbow said, is that when companies find higher ore-grade deposits, they are often far under the ground, making them more difficult and more dangerous to mine.

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Any change to air quality in the mine means rescuers have to adjust their mix from above ground.

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With the extent of damage to the above-ground systems yet to be understood by Cliffs, the raw coal which is mined will be stockpiled at the mine-site.

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The men have been trapped in the desert copper-and-gold mine since an August 5 cave-in and are surviving on supplies funneled to them from above ground through three bore holes, each about 4 inches in diameter.

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