The figure sets a new annual record and is some 3.2Mt, or 4% better than the total to December 2000. For the corresponding period to December 2000 Australian longwall mines produced 81.90Mt and for the 12 month period ended June 2001 the mines produced 84.12Mt

This record was achieved despite the mine closures of BHP Billiton’s Cordeaux mine in March and Enex Resources’ Teralba in May. The February 2002 closure of the Allied Bellambi West mine means that three longwall mines have closed over the last 12 months, leaving a total of 31 currently operating. BHP recently announced the December 2002 closure of the Tower mine in NSW. The future of the Moonee longwall of BHP Billiton, sold in February to Wambo owner, Excel mining, is by no means certain.

Due to come on line later this year is the Enex-owned United bord and pillar operation in NSW currently being converted to longwall and due to start mining in May. The Glennies Creek mine in NSW is due to start longwall mining in September.

Returning to the production statistics, the individual achievement of the 75% MIM-owned Oaky North mine in central Queensland is the big story of the year. The mine’s result of 6.33Mt sets an all-time Australian record for a longwall mine, and is almost 2Mt (or 38%) better than the 4.58Mt Oaky North produced the previous year. By June 2001, when the mine had produced 5.57Mt for the fiscal year, it became apparent that records would tumble for the 2001 calendar year.

Other top producers were Anglo Coal owned Moranbah North (5.76Mt total ROM); Rio Tinto’s Kestrel mine (4.39Mt); MIM’s Newlands mine (4.11Mt); and Enex Resources’s South Bulga (4.02Mt). Queensland located mines once again dominated the line-up with South Bulga the only NSW-located mine.

A noticeable development this year is that 14 mines produced over 3Mt, a distinct improvement over the eight mines which managed this last year. Nine of these 14 were in the 3-4Mt range, three of which were Queensland mines.

This would suggest that while Queensland mines are leading the way with tonnages above the 4Mt mark, more NSW mines are steadily improving their total output.

In the 3-4Mt grouping this is the showing: Enex’s Ulan (3.73Mt up 26%); Excel Mining’s Wambo (3.54Mt, up 18%); Anglo’s Southern (3.50Mt, up 29%); Anglo’s Dartbrook (3.360Mt, down 10%); Enex’s West Wallsend (3.32Mt, up 17%); Enex’s Baal Bone (3.26Mt, up 57%); Appin (3.24Mt, up 37%); Kenmare (3.15Mt, up 74%); and Crinum (3Mt, down 42%), the latter three all owned by BHP Billiton.

Enex produced overall tonnage of 16.52Mt from its longwall operations in NSW. BHP Billiton produced a total of 15.08Mt from its Illawarra mines, and the Crinum and Kenmare longwall mines in Queensland. This figure excludes Moonee’s tonnage of 1.4Mt.

MIM’s three mines produced 13.01Mt during the period.