Middlemount is also a key 50%-owned asset for Gloucester Coal, which is engaged in an $8 billion merger with Yancoal.

The project expanded last month with the granting of a new mining lease that provided a further 2080 hectares for overburden dumps and mine infrastructure.

Golsby, who is also the chief executive of ConsultMine, is believed to be contracted by NRW for three days a week while continuing to provide services to other coal mining clients.

Middlemount Coal chairman Tim Crossley said the project was well positioned to ramp up its production to 5.1 million tonnes per annum run of mine by 2014.

NRW’s five-year mining contract is for all mining activities including clearing and grubbing; long and short-term detailed mine scheduling and planning; drilling and blasting including design; and load and haul of 36 million bank cubic metres of overburden each year plus approximately 2Mt of coal.

The project will entail four large excavators (two 3600s and two 5600s), 26 180-220t trucks, five D11/D10 dozers and three 16m graders for the overburden, as well as a 1900 excavator and 6 Cat 785D trucks for the coal mining.

NRW said it would employ around 300 local people from the surrounding areas for the duration of this project.

“The granting of the additional mining lease is another significant milestone for the project as it provides additional out-of-pit dump space to ensure that the total project resource can be fully developed,” Crossley said.

“Middlemount Coal established a number of key objectives for the year [2011] to progress the project from development to operation, namely appointment of a mining contractor and commencement of mining; commencement of shipping to key customers; completion of the [environmental impact statement] for expansion of production; completion of the project rail spur and rail loadout; and the grant of the additional mining lease.”