A thread that covers the missing B727 is as follows:
http://www.pprune.com/forums/showthr...ght=stolen+727
It was therein that I learned it was a tanker. And while numerous sightings are recounted, reputable news sources still list the a/c as missing.
Yes, I guess remote mining operations would need to have diesel flown in. I would think, though, that to get any ore out, a road would have to be built in any event. A diamond mine might be an exception.