Vitrinite is pushing ahead with plans for a 1.95Mtpa coking coal mine at its Vulcan tenements, 35km south of Moranbah.

The open-cut project has an estimated life of four years and is expected to employ 116 people at its peak.

Documents submitted as part of the project’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act referral indicate mining is expected to start start as soon as October this year.

Prior to commencement of the Vulcan Complex Project, Vitrinite plans to extract up to 600 kilotonnes of coking coal from a bulk sample pit for testing by a number of international coal consumers.

The privately-owned company acquired the Vulcan asset in September 2018.

It boasts more than 55km strike of confirmed hard coking coal adjacent to a raft of coal operations including Peak Downs, Saraji, Norwich Park and Caval Ridge.

“It is assumed the workforce will reside in a mixture of accommodation facilities from camp (80 per cent) to private residences (20 per cent),” Vitrinite says in documents submitted to the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment.

“It is assumed there will be a 50/50 split between Dysart and Moranbah. Travel to site from Dysart and Moranbah will be 80 per cent bus (22 seat) and 20 per cent private vehicle (approx.). There would be two 12 hour shifts per day, with crews operating on a 7-days-on/7-days-off roster.”

The mining equipment fleet required is expected to include two excavators, one front end loader, seven Cat 789/777 mine trucks, 10 AB triple haul trucks, two D10 dozers, one grader, a water truck, two drill rigs, a service truck, mobile crushing and screening plant (including Sorterra); and six light vehicles.