Tag: Coking Coal

Byerwen Coal: New kid on the block

Byerwen Coal: New kid on the block

AUSTRALIA’S newest coking coal mine, the $1.76b Byerwen coalmine, officially opened on September 17. Currently operating at 3mtpa, it will ramp up to its nameplate capacity of 10mtpa coking coal after a significant site expansion. The open cut mine in the Northern Bowen Basin, about 20km west of Glenden, has employed about 1000 people during construction and the mine will have a permanent workforce of more than 500 people during operations. The mine comprises four mining areas with a total of 18 open-cut pits, two coal handling and preparation plants, two train loading facilities, including rail loop and spur lines, connected to the existing line to Abbot Point, and an augmented power supply. It is a JV between QCoal and…

Stanmore Coal: success story

Stanmore Coal: success story

All images: Stanmore Coal. STANMORE Coal’s grand plan to turn its $1 Isaac Plains mine into a 15-year mega project is beginning to pay off, with its share price reaching an eight-year high during March on the back of strong half-year results and timely acquisitions. STANMORE Coal has risen from a near-death experience during the coal downturn, to a company that stands today with healthy cash flow and a portfolio of long-life assets. The miner’s renaissance began in July 2015 when it nabbed Peabody subsidiary Millennium Coal’s undeveloped Wotonga (Isaac Plains East) project for $7 million. And then – the deal everyone remembers – its $1 purchase of Vale SA and Sumitomo Corp’s nearby Isaac Plains mine and infrastructure, which…

South32 posts record production

South32 posts record production

South32 reported record production from its manganese operations in the September quarter. Image: South32. BY AMY BLOM SOUTH32 has more than tripled metallurgical coal production in the first quarter of FY19 compared to the first quarter of FY18, according to its September quarter report. Production at Illawarra rose to 1.5 million tonnes (mt) in the Q1 up from 494,000 tonnes in the previous year. Despite the jump, South32 believed a significant increase in development rates was still required to sustain the operation of two longwalls in parallel at the Appin colliery from H2 FY20. South32’s Australia Manganese division also achieved a record quarterly performance of 932,000 tonnes and an 8 per cent increase quarter-on-quarter in total manganese ore production as…

Anglo American: A Bright Future

Anglo American: A Bright Future

All images: Anglo American. BY AMY BLOM AUSTRALIA’S coal industry has faced difficult times in recent years, but as coal prices stabilise, companies such as Anglo American are beginning to thrive. Less than three years ago Anglo American looked set to exit the Australian coal industry, but now its coal operations are stronger than ever, with its Moranbah mine in QLD posting record production. Anglo American metallurgical coal business chief executive Tyler Mitchelson said the company was pleased with the performance of its metallurgical coal business as the company continued to find opportunities to improve productivity. “Moranbah North five years ago was producing about 5 million tonnes (mt) of run-of-mine coal per year, and with the same equipment and mine it…