Vertical cylindrical cavern 50 m high x 35 m diameter with spherical domed roof and rounded base in 180 Mpa gneiss with some amphibolite with 115 m rock cover under construction by Skanska. Around I km of access tunnels at 28 sq m cross-section and 1:7 downgrade driven using Atlas Copco Robot Boomer 185 and Stabilator shotcrete jumbos. Surface connecting shaft raise bored at 1 m diameter. Contract value $21 million for completion late-2001. Cavern will be steel lined to store 10 million cu m of gas at 25 Mpa pressure. Visit www.skanska.com June 2000.
