Former management; Peter W Whittall (CEO) Pike River Coal Ltd was a mining company listed on the New Zealand and Australian stock exchanges.

[3] The operation was set up to mine the Brunner seam, a bituminous coal deposit with lower ash and varying sulphur content.

Until his departure, Ward had led Pike River Mine from its initial conceptual design for fourteen years.

Pike River Coal was initially held by New Zealand Oil & Gas (29% stake plus options and bonds)[10] as well as the two Indian companies; Gujarat NRE Coke Limited, (17% share), and Saurashtra Fuels Private Limited, (15% share), with the two latter companies intending to buy about half the running production of the mine's coal.

[12] On 12 December 2010, New Zealand Oil & Gas released a statement saying that it had decided to put Pike River Coal into receivership.

[18][19] Friday, 19 November, saw a gathering of workers from Pike River mine and five contracting firms beneath the earth's surface.

Subsequent aerial inspections revealed significant damage to the backup fan atop the ventilation shaft, accompanied by charred vegetation in the vicinity.

Although those acquainted with coal mining understood the grim reality that survival for the men within was improbable, public pressure mounted for a re-entry attempt.