Anglo flags months of work before mine re-entry hopes

Anglo American has flagged a wait of months until it is in a position to make a safe re-entry into the Grosvenor mine as efforts continue to extinguish an underground fire. The workforce was evacuated on Saturday after coal gas ignited at the Moranbah district mine, which was also the site of an underground gas explosion in 2020 that seriously injured five workers. Anglo said the mine team was working with specialist teams from the Queensland Mines Rescue Service and the regulatory authorities to extinguish the underground fire prior to being able to assess the steps towards a safe re-entry into the mine. "These procedures are expected to take several months as a result of the likely damage underground," the company stated. Resources Safety and Health Queensland chief executive officer Rob Djukic said the coal mine was in the process of being sealed and exclusion zones remained in place. In an update on social media, Mining and Energy Union national vice-president Stephen Smyth said yesterday that sealing the mine was a very complex process; with up to six shafts to seal, the main access transport and materials drift, and conveyor drift. Related: Smoke alert for community as Grosvenor fire fight continues "These modern longwall mines are huge complexes and they have so much infrastructure connected to the UG workings," he posted on Facebook. "It’s paramount that the health and safety of those on site is No.1 (and) we are blessed to have the MEU’s ISHRs & SSHRs on site ensuring no short cuts or unsafe acts occur. There is no doubt the mine needs to be sealed and as the mins & hours tick away the mine's environment is deteriorating and the raging fire is out of control." Mr Smyth - who has underground coal mining background - said last night it was quite eerie to see smoke billowing in the distance, knowing the mine was still in an unstable state. Resources Minister Scott Steward said today he was in constant communication with Resources Safety and Health Queensland, the MEU, and Anglo American. "Safety is my No.1 priority. This is serious incident that should not have happened, and a full investigation is underway," he said. Peabody Energy's North Goonyella hard-coking coal operation was taken out of action by an underground fire in 2018 and the company has spent about $770 million to bring it back online. Rebranded as Centurion mine, that site delivered its first development coal last month and is progressing to an expected return to longwall mining in 2026. Image at top of page: Mining and Energy Union national vice-president Stephen Smyth shared this image of smoke at the Grosvenor mine at the weekend.

Anglo flags months of work before mine re-entry hopes

Industry Queensland

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