The Wandoan Project is a large proposed coal mining development located about 30km south-west of the town of Wandoan in Queensland’s Surat Basin.

The Wandoan Project received environmental approvals in the early 2010s, but development has been delayed indefinitely due to changing coal market conditions.

The project was originally proposed by Xstrata Coal (now part of Glencore) and is considered one of the largest undeveloped coal deposits in Australia.

The development has been touted as a major open-cut coal mine targeting extensive seams of thermal coal used primarily for electricity generation.

Early project plans outlined potential production of up to 30Mt of coal per year, with mining expected to occur across several large pits over a projected mine life of around 30 years.

Coal from the project would be processed through a coal handling and preparation plant before being transported by rail to export terminals at the Port of Gladstone.

The scale of the proposed development also includes significant supporting infrastructure such as rail upgrades, water supply systems and worker accommodation.