Grosvenor delivered production lift before blaze

Anglo American recorded a 26 per cent lift in its steelmaking coal output last quarter, with higher production at Grosvenor the prime driver in the lead-up to a fire at that site. The improvement in Grosvenor production in the June quarter of 2024 reflected a longwall move executed at the same time in 2023, the company said. Meanwhile, Anglo chief executive Duncan Wanblad said the company was working at pace to execute its plan to divest portfolios including steelmaking coal. "Work is progressing with the aim of substantively completing this transformation by the end of 2025," he said. Production has been suspended at the Grosvenor mine, near Moranbah, following the fire that broke out underground on June 29. The mine has been stabilised and Anglo is re-establishing comprehensive underground gas monitoring, prior to being able to assess the steps towards a safe re-entry into the mine. 'The procedures are expected to take several months as a result of the likely damage underground,' the company stated in its production report for the quarter ended June 30. The report showed that Anglo's steelmaking coal production - all delivered by mines in Queensland - increased by 26 per cent compared to the same time in 2023 to 4.2 million tonnes for the quarter (which was also a 12 per cent lift on the first quarter of 2024). The increase was primarily driven by higher production at the Grosvenor underground longwall operation, the company said. Increased production at the Dawson open-cut operation was more than offset by lower production at the Aquila longwall operation due to ongoing difficult strata conditions, as well as at the Capcoal open-cut operation owing to mine sequencing, with more waste tonnes extracted, the company stated. The Moranbah longwall operation was broadly flat owing to ongoing challenges with difficult strata conditions Anglo has updated its metallurgical coal production guidance for 2024 to exclude Grosvenor in the second half of the year. This has resulted in guidance of 14-15.5 million tonnes (previously 15–17 million tonnes). A planned longwall move at Moranbah is expected to take place during the last quarter of 2024. Anglo said a walk-on/walk-off longwall move at Aquila, that would have a minimal production impact, was scheduled in the third quarter. You may also like: https://industryqld.com.au/steady-progress-at-grosvenor-as-surface-workers-return/

Grosvenor delivered production lift before blaze

Industry Queensland

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