Name of the Mine
Illawarra Metallurgical Coal.

Location  
The Illawarra and Macarthur regions of the southern coalfields of New South Wales, Australia.

Mine Owner/s  
South32.

Brief Description  
Illawarra comprises two underground mines – Appin and Dendrobium – and the West Cliff and Dendrobium coal preparation plants.

Illawarra Metallurgical Coal also manages the Port Kembla Coal Terminal on behalf of a consortium of partners.

Brief History  
South32 acquired the operations from BHP Billiton in 2015.

Primary Metals/Minerals  
Metallurgical coal.

Secondary Metals/Minerals  
None.

Geology/Mineralisation  
The Illawarra Metallurgical Coal operations encompass several coal mines, including the Dendrobium and Appin mines. The operations coal assets are located in the southern portion of Sydney basin within the Southern Coalfield.

The full sequence of Triassic to Permian sedimentary units are within the Illawarra Metallurgical Coal areas, including the Permian Shoalhaven Group, Illawara Coal Measures, and the overlying Triassic Narrabeen Group and Hawkesbury Sandstone.

The economic coal seems relevant to Illawara Metallurgical Coal are hosted within the Illawara Coal Measures.

Reserves  
Not stated.

Resources  
IIlawara’s total coal resource was estimated at 1.19-billion tonnes as of June 30, 2023.

Type of Mine
Underground.

Mining Method  
Longwall and room-and-pillar mining methods.

Major Infrastructure/Equipment  
Illawarra’s mining equipment includes longwall shearers, continuous miners and conveyor systems. Processing facilities include coal preparation plants and washeries. Surface infrastructure includes administrative offices, maintenance buildings and rail loading facilities.

In addition, there is rail network connecting the mine to port facilities and there are facilities at the port for loading the metallurgical coal onto ships for export.

Prospects  
South32 is investing to improve productivity and extend the life of the Appin mine, and is focusing on optimising the Dendrobium mine within approved domains.

Contact Details
South32 – Illawara Metallurgical Coal
Tel +61 2 4286 3000

Sources
Mining Data Solutions. https://miningdataonline.com/
Mining Data Solutions. Illawarra Operation (accessed January 24, 2024).

South32. Website: https://www.south32.net/
South32. Annual Report 2023.