There are reports from Solomon Islands that a large squad of Australian Federal Police has been flown in to provide security at the Gold Ridge Mine.
Gold Ridge has been temporarily closed by the severe flooding which has affected much of Guadalcanal.
All the expatriate staff are reported to have left the site.
The mine, which is owned by Australian company St Barbara, resumed operations just nine months ago after it had been destroyed by militants during the years of ethnic unrest on Guadalcanal.
Our correspondent reports that 33 AFP police have been deployed to the mine after a request by the Solomons' Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo for security.
