Bowen Coking Coal has announced increased coal resource and reserve estimates for the Isaac pit at its Burton mine complex.

The resource has lifted by 2.4Mt to a total of 7.2Mt, and the reserve by 1.7Mt to 3Mt.

The increase at the Isaac pit is significant as it sits just north of the site’s CHPP and has increasing potential to provide production continuity at the Burton complex along with deposits at Hillalong, Burton, Broadmeadow East and Lenton, the company says.

It takes the total Burton mine complex coal resource to 110.7Mt and the coal reserve to 16.5Mt.

“This is a great result, providing the Burton complex with potential to expand the mining area, at excellent coal qualities,” chief executive officer Daryl Edwards said.

“We will now commence with mine development scenario planning to explore the options to incorporate the upgraded reserves at Isaac pit into the overall Burton mine complex production plan.”

Related: Plumtree North delivers for Bowen Coking Coal

The announcement comes after Bowen Coking Coal last week reported that it had achieved first run-of-mine (ROM) coal ahead of schedule from the Plumtree North pit at its Burton mine complex.

That pit sits just south of the Ellensfield South mine which has been feeding the CHPP since September last year.

The company said the Isaac pit’s raw coal qualities represented an improvement on Ellensfield South and expected qualities at Plumtree North.

Primary coking and secondary thermal product qualities (ash and yield) are expected to be better than that currently achieved at the Burton CHPP.

Approval will need to be sought for the establishment of an Isaac River crossing for future mining access to the Isaac pit.

The Burton mine complex is owned by the Lenton Joint Venture (LJV), which is owned by Bowen Coking Coal subsidiary New Lenton Coal (90 per cent interest) and Formosa Plastics Group (FPG), a subsidiary of MPC Lenton.

You may also like: