Yari Minerals has announced a jump of more than 90 per cent in the inferred coal resource at its newly acquired Rolleston South coal project in the Bowen Basin.

The resource has grown from 78.9Mt to 151Mt, driven by the integration of open-source data from the Rougemont 1 and 2 coal seam gas wells that State Gas drilled in 2021.

Managing director Anthony Italiano described the 91.3 per cent uplift in the inferred coal resource as an outstanding outcome for Yari at this stage of the project’s development.

“This growth reinforces the Rolleston South coal project’s potential as a high-quality asset in a Tier 1 location and the potential for further upside to the resource,” he said.

“Our board is now focused on accelerating development, with site visits planned to finalise drilling targets for our inaugural campaign, aiming to further enhance shareholder value.”

Yari said current modelling indicated the potential for a small open-cut operation alongside a significant mineable underground operation.

The Rolleston South coal project comprises 272sq km across two exploration permits about 15km south-west of Rolleston and 275km west of Gladstone in Central Queensland.

Sitting near Glencore’s Rolleston open-cut coal mine, the project targets coal seams within the Bandanna formation.

Coal quality analysis indicates the potential for high-grade export thermal coal (24.33–27.98 Mj/kg) and semi-soft metallurgical coal.

Yari said the project’s location offered unparalleled infrastructure access, being just 40km from an existing coal haulage rail head on Aurizon’s Blackwater rail system and less than 300km from the Port of Gladstone.

It is accessible via the Carnarvon and Dawson highways.

Yari Minerals added the project to its portfolio through the acquisition of owner Resource Chain.

The Perth-based, ASX-listed company also owns a clutch of exploration licences in the Pilbara region of Western Australia which are prospective for lithium.