Rain, repairs hamper Curragh coal operations

The Curragh mining complex was hit by high rainfall, thinning coal zones and unplanned repairs to the bucketwheel and overland conveyor last quarter. But the Blackwater region coal operation is continuing to deliver productivity gains for owner Coronado Global Resources. The waste movement per truck and excavator fleet improved in the September quarter compared to the June quarter, the company said. All waste fleets have lifted productivity from the March quarter. The site's ROM production of 2.6 Mt and saleable production of 2.3 Mt was down 30.8 per cent and 15.4 per cent respectively on the previous three months due to a string of issues. Shipments were affected for two weeks while the conveyor belt and bucketwheel were repaired, Coronado said. 'An unforeseen geological circumstance of coal thinning in two zones further impacted ROM production; this has been overcome by further exploration in the recently developed areas,' the company stated in its quarterly report. Curragh also experienced rainfall levels more than three times the 10-year monthly average for the area in August. The impacts of this rain caused delays to pre-strip activities, which has resulted in some coal production being deferred into FY 2025. Coronado said critical dragline maintenance activity was brought forward during this period and this was expected to benefit the December quarter utilisation and production. "We overcame mechanical and geological circumstances at Curragh. However, with the continued impact of rainfall we have reissued a revision to full-year production and cost guidance," Coronado managing director and chief executive officer Douglas Thompson said. "During the quarter we continued to lower the cost base of the business by removing fleets from Curragh and increasing productivity of the dragline system. "These cost savings are substantial and continue to flow through our business." Related: Coronado forges ahead with Mammoth development The Mammoth Underground project at the Curragh complex remains on schedule, subject to regulatory approvals. Coronado said Mammoth Underground had a full leadership team in place supporting the development of the project and expressions of interest for staff and workforce had been released to the market. Highwall stablisation works commenced in the September quarter in preparation for portal development. Once fully operational, the project is on target to deliver an incremental 1.5-2.0 Mtpa saleable production in its first phase. You may also like: https://industryqld.com.au/bhp-reports-lift-in-metallurgical-coal-production/

Rain, repairs hamper Curragh coal operations

Industry Queensland

Related News

Protesters swarm BHP AGM in ‘Same Job, Same Pay’ rally

New Acland Coal hails workforce ramp-up milestone

CSIRO survey shows rising trust in mining industry

Get access to breaking mining news, now.