PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Coal miner Peabody Energy on Wednesday reported that the initial steps to extinguish the fire at its North Goonyella mine, in Queensland, appeared to be delivering results, with either steam or white smoke emanating from only one mine shaft.
The company at the start of this week started implementing a multi-tiered plan to extinguish and contain a fire at the North Goonyella mine, after personnel observed black smoke coming from the mine, and elevated gas levels were detected.
Peabody said on Wednesday that the mobile Gorniczy Agregat Gasniczy unit has continued to run, increasing the amount of high-moisture inert gases in the mine to displace oxygen and reduce the conditions for a fire, while temporary seals using a fire-resistant expandable material have been completed in three of the five primary mine openings to reduce air flow into the mine.
Additional drilling is also under way in advance of sealing the completed longwall panel area from the surface, while air quality monitoring equipment is in place around the perimeter of the mine with good results.
Peabody noted that a formal review of the event will be conducted at the ‘appropriate time’, with the involvement of independent third parties.
The US-based miner is not expecting any production from the North Goonyella mine in the fourth quarter of this year.