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World Coal
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March 2016
Coal News
Coal News
Australia
Adani
The Carmichael coal mine has received
environmental approval (EA) from
Queensland’s Department of
Environment and Heritage Protection
(EHP) – the latest regulatory win for
Adani’s controversial project. In a
statement, the EHP said the approval
has approximately 140 conditions,
including nine relating to the black
throated finch, as had been required by a
previous Land Court ruling. “EHP is
confident the strict conditions placed on
the EA, including extra requirements
based on the Land Court’s
recommendations, will ensure this mine
will not pose an unacceptable risk to the
environment and any potential impacts
will be closely monitored,” the
EHP concluded.
Stanmore Coal
The EHP has also accepted Stanmore
Coal’s Isaac Plains coal mine plan of
operations, which covers the operational
period through to the end of March next
year. Following the decision, operational
responsibilities at the site were handed
over to Golding Contractors, enabling
the start of mining activities. Production
drilling has now begun with the first
blast completed on 11 February. Golding
has appointed Action Drill and Blast as
drilling contractors at the site. The
dragline overhaul has also been
completed under budget with
operations set to be ramped up during
February.
Canada
Atrum Coal
Atrum Coal has received encouraging
anthracite quality results from drilling at
its JORC 1.57 billion t Groundhog
anthracite project’s Eastern Resource
block in British Columbia. The Duke E
seam, one of the primary target seams for
the proposed underground mine complex,
has returned yields averaging above 80%,
producing a premium 10% ash ultra-high
grade anthracite. This has stimulated a
further design of pits in the Eastern Block
where these higher yields occur.
“As we gain a greater understanding
of the Groundhog resource base, we
increase the likelihood of designing mines
with both reduced operating and capital
cost,” said Robert Bell, Executive
Chairman of Atrum. “The delineation of
the Duke E seam in the Eastern Resource
block with much higher washing yields is
an encouraging result, and is likely to
strongly influence our mine planning and
development scenarios.”
Tanzania
Kibo Mining
Phase 1 of Kibo Mining’s Mbeya
coal‑to‑power project (MCPP) integrated
bankable feasibility study (IBFS) has been
successfully completed. The company
reported successful integration of three
primary MCPP feasibility study work
streams and has also formally appointed
Shangoni Management Services LTD as
environmental consultant.
“The completion of the first phase of
the IBFS is a critical step in the overall
feasibility work, which is now
progressing at pace,” said Louis Coetzee,
CEO of Kibo Mining. “The four key work
streams, (MDFS, PDFS, EIA and IBFS)
are all active and progressing in
parallel. This is in itself the strongest
indicator of the considerable
momentum with which the feasibility
work on the MCPP is advancing – and
fast nearing completion.”
Additionally, Kibo has also released
the results of the special analysis (specific
metallurgical tests) on the Mbeya coal
resource, which found that the ash fusion
temperature (in both oxidising and
reducing environments) of the coal was
above the boiler operating temperature,
while the abrasive index was within the
specifications for use with fluidised bed
technology. Sulfur content of the coal is
also within tolerance. Lime injection
technology will be able to keep sulfur
dioxide emissions within international
standards. Ash content was within
tolerance levels for similar coal deposits
in southern Africa.
USA
Paringa Resources
The results of a scoping study on
Paringa Resources’ Buck Creek No.2
mine, located within the Buck Creek
mining complex and south of the Buck
Creek No.1 mine’s proposed
3.8 million short tpy coal project, have
confirmed that the mine has the
potential for low capital development
with total initial CAPEX of
US$44 million due to favourable geology
and the shallow depth of the coal seam
at the proposed site.
Based on the scoping study results,
Paringa will now develop the
No.2 mine first, followed by the
‘shovel‑ready’ No.1 mine, as part of a
staged multi-project development
strategy for building a new ‘mid-tier’,
high margin Illinois Basin coal mine.
Construction may begin as soon as the
necessary permits are secured, which is
expected to be within approximately
12 to 14 months. Construction should
take a further 12 months meaning
production at the mine could begin
in 2018.
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