Curragh looks to tap coal seam methane
By Industry Queensland
Coronado Global Resources has kicked off a project at Central Queensland’s Curragh mine to capture coal seam methane for use as a diesel substitute.
Drill contractors were mobilising to site to commence a drilling program in the fourth quarter on 2022, the company said.
“This project forms part of Coronado’s strategy to reduce emissions from open-cut mining operations,” the company stated in a quarterly update to the market.
The company remains on course with expansion plans to reach 13.5Mtpa at Curragh, near Blackwater, by 2025.
Planned growth activities continued in the past quarter with the completion of the Curragh North underground pre-feasibility study and the Z Pit expansion study.
“These results are under review and are showing positive results,” Coronado reported.
The site managed to boost ROM production for the September quarter to 3Mt (28.6 per cent up), with saleable production hitting 2.5Mt (31.2 per cent higher), and sales volume 2.4Mt (4.2 per cent higher compared to the June quarter).
The company said significant improvements quarter-on-quarter reflected the return on investment made in the first of half of the year from initiatives implemented under the ‘One Curragh Plan’ and, in part, from lower rainfall in the September quarter compared to June.
However above-average rainfall did continue to hinder production.
The town of Blackwater received 178mm of rain in the quarter (June Quarter: 213mm), representing rainfall nearly three times the 10-year rainfall average for the area, Coronado said.
Coronado’s year-to-date revenues are up 108 per cent compared to 2021, reflecting the significant improvement in metallurgical coal markets over the last 18 months.
For the remainder of 2022 and into 2023, Coronado expects met coal prices to remain elevated as more tonnes are
switched into the thermal market given the high demand for energy as winter approaches in the northern hemisphere, continued supply disruption from Australia due to weather, and the ongoing trade-flow impacts from Russian sanctions.
