PERTH (miningweekly.com) – First coal from the Maules Creek operation, in New South Wales, was expected to be railed in January next year, more than two months ahead of schedule, owner Whitehaven Coal reported on Thursday.
The ASX-listed miner said that the acceleration of the first coal railing was owing to the strong performance of the company’s construction team and the contractors working on the project.
Initial sales from the Maules Creek mine would be for by-pass thermal coal, which would exceed Newcastle benchmark specifications.
Opencut operations at Maules Creek started in August this year, and the $767-million project was expected to deliver some 13-million tonnes of coal a year. The commissioning of the coal handling and preparation plant, as well as other related infrastructure, was expected to continue until July next year.
The miner said that clearing activities under its revised biodiversity management plant, would be carried out between February and April each year, and the timing of these activities was not expected to impact the first coal railing in January, or any other key project milestones.