The output is the lowest since Xstrata acquired the coking coal mine from Austral Coal in 2007 and is 47% lower than the 2.98Mt ROM production of that year.

Tahmoor’s output slumped to 1.73Mt ROM in 2008 and further fell to 1.71Mt in 2009 after Xstrata made 158 employees redundant from late July, citing high production costs and weak coal prices at the time.

Subsequent disputes over a new enterprise agreement led to almost two years of intermittent industrial action at the mine, starting with two-hour rolling stoppages in October 2009.

The resolution of these matters has given Xstrata the opportunity to get Tahmoor back to its former glory.

In January an Xstrata spokesperson told ILN the company was considering options for the expansion of Tahmoor.

Xstrata has already made a federal environmental application to build 1.9 kilometres of rail to deviate the Main Southern Rail Corridor to allow mining underneath the Redbank Tunnel, where the Tahmoor North reserves remain untapped.

A NSW government environmental application is yet to be made, but the Xstrata spokesperson previously said this rail deviation would assist with productivity and delivery, and that the private landowner of the affected area had approved the plan.

The longwall had performed well since the EA was finally ratified in October.

“Everyone has got back to business – it’s a decent place to be,” the spokesperson said.