The deadline for Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to make a decision on approving Bowen Coking Coal’s Isaac River mine has been extended for the third time.

The proposed mine, about 28km east of Moranbah, is expected to produce about 500,000 tonnes per annum of metallurgical coal for the export market.

The Queensland Government has granted Isaac River a site-specific Environmental Authority (EA) and approved a Progressive Rehabilitation and Closure Plan.

The only outstanding item for the mining licence is federal environmental approval under the EPBC Act.

In its quarterly report last week Bowen Coking Coal noted that the relevant period in which the minister must make a decision had been extended twice and said a decision was expected in coming days.

But on Monday a notification came out stating that the relevant period in which the minister must make a decision whether or not to approve the mine had been extended by 14 business days to May 19.

The Isaac River coking coal project hosts a 8.7Mt JORC resource, including 5.7Mt classified as measured resources and 2.6Mt classified as indicated.

Studies have indicated a run-of-mine production target of 0.4mtpa to 0.6mtpa over four or five years.

Bowen Coking Coal proposes to start Isaac River as an open-cut operation using a truck and shovel mining system before progressing to highwall mining methods to maximise coal extraction from the resource area.

Access to the mining operation will be via the Peak Downs Highway, then the Daunia Rd/Annandale Rd
about 8.5 km west of Coppabella.

From the Daunia Rd access will be via the existing access road used for the Daunia Quarry. An additional section of road will be constructed to connect the mine to that road.

Bowen Coking Coal has already restarted the Bluff mine near Blackwater – with first coal shipped last year – and brought the new Broadmeadow East mine online within its Burton complex near Moranbah.

Coal production began at Broadmeadow East in July 2022 and has now reached a steady-state production rate of up to 1.1 Mtpa ROM.

The company is now bringing a second pit online at the Burton complex – Ellensfield South – with first ROM production expected late in the third quarter of 2023.

Recent presentations have highlighted its aim to be producing more than 5Mtpa ROM coal by the 2024 financial year, including production from Isaac River.

Image below: A graphic from Bowen Coking Coal’s AGM presentation late last year setting out its project pipeline.