Mines in Queensland

Much of Australia’s coal exports are mined locally in Queensland. With some of the world’s largest coal reserves and operations, mining in Queensland produced more than 280,000,000 tonnes of coal products in 2021. Used both domestically and internationally for energy production and iron smelting, mines in Queensland export their products to customers around the world.

Of the coal mines in Queensland, more than one third of all extraction occurred at three mine sites:

• Peak Downs Coal Mine. An open pit mine located 31km southeast of Moranbah on Queensland’s central coast, Peak Downs is the most productive coal mine in Queensland. With a raw output of more than 20,000,000 tonnes each year, Peak Downs provides premium quality coking coals to global customers. The Peak Downs coal mine is operated by BHP and Mitsubishi Development.
• Blackwater Coal Mine. Southeast of Emerald on Queensland’s central coast, Blackwater is one of the longest coal mines in the Southern Hemisphere. It produces a mixture of thermal and coking coals. Like other mines in Queensland, Blackwater is an open pit operation. Blackwater is expected to continue operating until 2046 while its 877 million tonnes of coal reserves are extracted.
• Goonyella Riverside Coal Mine. North of Moranbah is the Goonyella Riverside coal mine. Operated jointly by BHP and Mitsubishi Development, Goonyella produces almost 15,000,000 tonnes of coal each year. Along with other coal mines in Queensland, Goonyella is the site of major technological innovations, with BHP using autonomous trucks to improve mine safety and efficiency.
• Ensham Coal Mine. Approximately 40km east of Emerald is the Ensham Coal Mine. Operations at Ensham make use of both open cut and underground mining methods to extract more than 5,000,000 tonnes of coal each year. Despite being one of the best known mines in Queensland, Ensham’s open cut mining is expected to close in 2024, with underground mining continuing until 2028.
• Kestrel Coal Mine. Kestrel is an underground coal mine situated approximately 50km to the northeast of Emerald. The Kestrel Coal Mine is operated by a joint venture between Kestrel Coal Resources and Mitsui Coal Australia. The partnership allows Kestrel Coal Resources to maximise the mine’s yield, returning more than 4,000,000 tonnes of coal each year.
• Minerva Coal Mine. Minerva is an open cut coal mine located 45km south of Emerald. The mine is operated by Sojitz Blue and produces more than 2,000,000 tonnes of high-grade thermal coal each year. Like other coal mines in Queensland, Minerva uses a terraced mining method to access sedimentary coal deposits that are close to the surface.