Clara Resources progressing with route-to-market option for Ashford coking coal project
Clara Resources (ASX:C7A) is continuing to make good progress on the route-to-market option for transporting Ashford coking coal from the mine to the port.
Road Haulage
Specialist transport consultants Smith Global (SG) are continuing to refine the options study commissioned by Clara for road transportation of coking coal between the proposed Ashford mine in NSW and the soon-to-be-completed Inland rail project (IRP) line.
Clara engaged SG to examine viable road-based transportation solutions to move coking coal from the Ashford mine to a rail head on the closest segment on the IRP.
SG identified a list of routes able to service possible rail head locations and have refined locations between North Star and Croppa Creek. These routes range from 100km to 150km.
Clara, Smith Global and ARTC are working together to finalise the rail head location by considering land access requirements, residential impact and estimated construction costs.
Rail Head Loading Facility
Clara commissioned specialist engineering consultant Lycopodium to undertake preliminary engineering for the rail head facility.
Lycopodium is examining a range of options, including directly loading trains with front-end loaders and loading via hoppers and conveyor.
The rail head will include 3km of rail siding or mainline loading, clean coal stockpile (around 1500t), and a loading rate in the range of 1750 to 2500tph. Further, it will be suitable for 80 wagon, 7000t trains.
Rail and Port Services
Specialist rail and port advisors Nine-Squared Consulting have been commissioned to provide independent costing advice for rail and port services.
Nine-Squared is also helping Clara in the contracting process for above rail operators that could bid for the Ashford rail haulage contract.
The selected trucking route, truck configurations, rail head location and estimated rail and port costings will be critical factors for the scoping study and economic modelling for the Ashford project.
Clara chief executive Peter Westerhuis said this work is a significant step forward for the development of the Ashford project.
“Narrowing the options for an efficient route to market and refining the cost assumptions are significant steps forward in the development of the Ashford coking coal project,” he said.
“These are critical factors in demonstrating what we believe can be some very attractive project fundamentals.
“We are excited to continue moving to completing the scoping study processes while we are also working hard on the ground in stakeholder engagement and planning for drill campaigns aimed at extending the scale of our overall resource.”
 is continuing to make good progress on the route-to-market option for transporting Ashford coking coal from the mine to the port.){kind=link}