Birchfield Minerals managing director Allan Birchfield said there had been a strong expression of interest from the Tauranga-based Ngahere, which wants to recommission the dredge, understood to be the largest gold dredge in the southern hemisphere.
"They have made an offer for the three farms and the dredge," Mr Birchfield said.
"Basically, the offer is three deals under one. It is the gold dredge and my block of land, which at present is a dairy run-off."
The 30-year-old dredge is at Ngahere, about 22km inland from Greymouth.
The dredge was built by American company R.A. Hanson and started operation in 1989, but the company went into receivership eight months later. Birchfield Minerals purchased the dredge in August 1992 and worked the goldmining operation until 2004.
It lay idle for five years until being recommissioned in 2009, working through to 2012.
Ngahere Mining Co chairman Bruce Courtesi confirmed his company was involved in sale negotiations and once completed, it would create employment opportunities.
"We have made an offer to purchase and we want to recommission the dredge operation," Mr Courtesi said.
"Obviously, it is subject to a due diligence process and if the conditions and obligation suit both parties, it is expected the sale of purchase will proceed.
"We would expect to [overall] look at providing 50 jobs.
"We have some innovative plans which will enable us to contribute back to the West Coast community in other ways - education, training and youth.
"This is all I can say at this early stage but we do have some significant things we want to achieve," Mr Courtesi said.
Mr Birchfield said the gold dredge was mothballed due to resource consent issues and falling gold prices at the time, in 2012.
- Paul McBride
