ACARP receives 5 cents per tonne of coal produced from Australian coal producers to fund coal mining related research. Out of 250 initial submissions, a total of 69 projects will receive ACARP funding of $8.5 million, of which 20 underground projects receive $2.8 million and 20 open cut projects receive $2.9 million.

Total funding for these 69 projects amounts to over $28 million, which means the resultant leverage is 3.3 times the ACARP investment.

Funding for the CSIRO led Rapid roadway development project continues ($250,000), which is in the process of developing an automated coal conveying/bolting module to speed up development rates. During the final stage of this five-year project a prototype module will be tested at West Wallsend colliery in NSW.

The project, Investigate the hot roll forge welding manufacturing process for self drilling rock bolts, ($41,500) will be undertaken by Ground Support Services. The aim is to determine if it is practicable to hot roll a specially pre-shaped feeder bar to form a strong hollow bar shape.

Geotechnical projects include the project, Development of a rib support design methodology, to be undertaken by Colwell Geotechnical Services ($266,600). This project aims to develop an empirical design method for rib support, incorporating a rating classification system similar to the Coal Mine Roof Rating (CMRR).

Work on using seismic data for mine planning continues with the project, Integration of seismic data for mine planning to be researched by CSIRO exploration and mining with funding of $165,000. This project aims to develop methods to convert seismic reflection times to physical depth values. It will also examine whether additional data on rock types can be determined by other seismic attributes.

A third geotechnical project is Monitoring ground subsidence using integrated space geodetic techniques, ($80,000) to be carried out by the University of New South Wales. This project aims to improve current methods used to measure subsidence, at an accuracy of under a centimetre. Techniques to be examined will be Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and GPS.

SCT Operations have received $230,000 for the project Design criteria for partial chain pillar longwall extraction. This project aims to examine how to alleviate the effects of unextracted chain pillars following longwall mining. Surface problems include longitudinal ridges in the subsidence troughs. Underground these pillars generate high stresses into underlying seams, limiting multi seam mining opportunities.

Wollongong University and BHP Illawarra Collieries have received $75,000 to trial USA technology called RIM IV, used to delineate dykes. This project is called Locating and mining through dykes in longwalls.

MIM Exploration received $157,200 for the project Geophysical assessment of fracture grouting. The project will measure grout behaviour in a faulted zone at Newlands longwall mine to develop guidelines for the design of grouting patterns.

CSIRO exploration and mining receive $195,000 for the project Geophysical log interpretation for rock and coal characterisation. The project seeks to make a significant change in the way geophysical logging data are used by mining companies.

Several projects are related to gas management issues. Extension funding ($50,000) has been granted to the project Review of controlling parameters for outburst management, researcher J&SD Hanes. This project seeks to review the validity of gas content threshold values first developed to manage outburst risk at West Cliff colliery.

Related to this is another gas project, being carried out by CSIRO Petroleum, Variability for coal seam parameters for improved risk assessment for gas outburst in coal mines, with funding of $290,000. Current gas content threshold values which determine outburst management plans, were originally determined through data collected at West Cliff. It is now recognised that these values may not be valid at all sites because of a range of variables including stress factors and structure.

A third, gas-related project, Gas drainability and outburst risk assessment is to be undertaken by the University of NSW with funding of $122,000. This project will further investigate the findings of project C10011 (Gas drainage efficiency improvement), which has found that poorly draining coals have a different microscopic structure to normal coals. The research aims to develop a method of identifying low drainability coal ahead of mining.

The project, Longwall AFC chain tension meter is to be carried out by the Cooperative Research Centre for Mining Technology and Equipment (CMTE) at the University of Queensland. This project potentially forms one of many sub-programs on the landmark longwall automation project. (See related article.) Its aim is to design and test a chain tension meter to help overcome problems associated with excess loading of conveyor chains.

The Universities of Queensland and NSW have received collaborative funding of $77,000 for the project Development of significant incident identification and evaluation system. This project aims to develop a computerised system based on the mine plan and ventilation system simulation, to improve the response capability of mine personnel in the event of an explosion.

Borehole tool for investigating inaccessible areas will be researched by the University of Queensland and Geotechnical Systems Australia ($48,500). This project will investigate the possibility of developing a camera and monitoring tool which could use a vertical borehole to assess inaccessible goaf areas to check levels of gas.

Strata Engineering and Cutting Edge Technology received $140,000 for the project Extraction panel guidelines for high production underground auger mining. The project aims to develop panel and pillar design guidelines for auger mining.

CSIRO and the University of New South Wales received $57,000 to progress investigations into the introduction of longwall top coal caving into Australia for project - Application of longwall top coal caving to Australian operations.

SIMTARS receives $75,000 for the project Alternative testing method for intrinsically safe active power supply. The project aims to develop an alternative testing method to speed up the certification process.