Out of the 29 other longwall operations, only BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance’s Crinum East mine matched the 2010 forecasted tonnage, which was 4.93 million tonnes run-of-mine.
Xstrata’s Oaky Creek complex in Queensland had a solid 2010 after the Oaky Creek No.1 mine restarted production in the latter half of the previous year.
The Oaky North mine cemented its spot as the nation’s longwall production king with its 2010 ROM output of 8.74Mt – nearly 3% higher than its forecasted tonnage of 8.5Mt.
Oaky Creek No.1 was 1.3% above its forecasted 2010 tonnage with 5.57Mt ROM, enough to be the third-highest producer in Australia’s longwall sector.
Xstrata’s Newlands Northern mine claimed second spot with its ROM output of 8.21Mt, 2.6% higher than forecast.
The output of that mine is even more commendable when considering the coal clearance to the surface is rated at 5500 tonnes per hour compared to the 6500tph setup at Oaky North, which is the highest conveyor capacity in the sector.
Anglo American Metallurgical Coal’s Moranbah North mine in the state was fourth overall in ROM production with 5.52Mt, beating its 2010 forecast by less than 1%.
Peabody Energy’s North Wambo mine in New South Wales pulled off surprising numbers as it hit 4.81Mt of total ROM production in 2010, 11.8% or 0.51Mt higher than forecast.
Centennial Coal’s Mandalong longwall mine in the state was another big mover, eclipsing the 2010 ROM forecast by 7% to hit 5.33Mt.
Rio Tinto’s Kestrel longwall mine in Queensland is scheduled to ramp-up to 5.7Mt per annum in 2012, but already beat its 2010 ROM forecast by 6.3% as it produced 5.37Mt.
Xstrata’s Baal Bone mine in NSW is expected to complete mining in 2014, but it still managed to beat its 2010 ROM forecast by nearly 6% with its result of 1.94Mt.
The Centennial-operated Springvale mine in NSW also had a strong run with its 2010 ROM output of 3.17Mt, 3% more than forecast.
Given the myriad of possible geotechnical and operational issues which can face longwall mines, it is perhaps not surprising that most fell short of forecasted tonnages.
Some mines have also faced blackswan events this calendar year, including water inrush and the underground fire at the new Blakefield South mine.
This report was based on data provided by Coal Services.
