Of course there is never absolute certainty that all of these longwall projects will be developed but the number on the table is quite daunting given today’s hectic demands on the mining and construction industries.

One of Xstrata Coal’s key priorities is developing the 7 million tonnes per annum run of mine Ulan West longwall project in New South Wales, with first longwall coal expected in 2014.

But there could be a lesser-known strategy involving Xstrata’s Blakefield South mine in this state.

The causes behind the underground coal fire which set back this longwall mine in early 2011 remain shrouded in mystery – along with Xstrata’s plans for the mine and whether they could involve ordering in new longwall equipment.

While the new longwalls for Narrabri and NRE No.1 are getting close to cutting coal, there are some other encouraging longwall projects on the cards in NSW.

NuCoal Resources is still busy with prefeasibility work for its 5Mtpa ROM Doyles Creek longwall project, but the Hunter Valley explorer has pencilled in first longwall coal in the September quarter of 2014.

Then there is the longwall expansion as part of the 24-year stage two development strategy for the existing Moolarben open cut mine, which is navigating through the later stages of the NSW environmental approval regime.

While ILN is aiming to get an update on possible underground production timelines, Yancoal’s scope is to produce a total of up to 4Mtpa ROM through conventional longwall mining in two proposed underground operations.

It hasn’t yet been named Wallarah 3, but Kores Australia has not given up on its Wallarah 2 longwall project either.

This project was famously rejected by the previous NSW government not long before it got trounced in the last state election.

Looking deep into the crystal ball, there is also the possibility that Hunter Valley miner Coal and Allied will consider a longwall at some stage for its Mount Thorley Warkworth mine.

Of the Queensland longwall projects, Anglo American’s plans appear to be the most likely to bear fruit.

The longwall for its Grosvenor project near its existing Moranbah North mine is expected to be commissioned in 2016.

Targeting 5Mtpa of product metallurgical coal over a mine life of 26 years, this project is expected to cost $US1.7 billion alone.

Anglo recently filed for federal environmental approval of its greenfield Moranbah South project which has two proposed longwall operations and one bord and pillar operation for a total mine life of more than three decades.

Construction was anticipated to start in 2014 with first longwall production expected in 2017.

Xstrata is also keen to expand its lucrative Oaky Creek mining complex in the Bowen Basin and early this year Xstrata Coal chief executive Peter Freyberg flagged that a new longwall system will be brought in.

While there has been little news of late on the Minyango longwall project since Caledon Resources became another Chinese acquisition, this project is at the greentape stage where an environmental impact statement needs to be submitted (by the end of September, 2013) according to the Queensland government.

Targeting 9Mtpa ROM, first coal was anticipated to be in 2014 by Caledon early last year.

Explorer Bandanna Energy’s Springsure project also needs to pass the EIS milestone. This project entails two longwall operations for 11Mtpa of thermal coal over about a 20-year mine life. First coal is expected in 2014.

Vale also has its Ellensfield longwall project which aims to produce 5.5Mtpa over a 20-year mine life. An EIS has been completed and Vale is at the planning stage where it is responding to submissions raised from it.

Due to the delays stemming from various legal tangles between Aquila Resources and Vale, it is hard to pinpoint timeframes for longwall production from the Eagle Downs and Belvedere projects but both have considerable scope.

In any case, Eagle Downs could be in development by late 2015 and this project is targeting at least 4.5Mtpa over the first ten years while the resources could support mining for 48 years.

The Belvedere project also has a possible target of first coal in 2016. While production is aiming for 3.5Mtpa of coking coal, previous studies indicate another longwall could be introduced to double output from 2020.

Queensland is also home to proposed longwall projects in regions which have never been exposed to this style of mining before.

MetroCoal aims to pioneer longwall mining in the Surat Basin. The Bundi project is targeting first longwall production in 2017 while the nearby Columboola longwall project aims to cut coal in 2018.

Both projects aim to export more than 5Mtpa of product coal.

The yet to be exploited Galilee Basin could become a major longwall mining region if the various players manage to sail through the financing and logistical challenges – plus any other difficulties which could pop up along the way.

Hancock Coal and the GVK Group are targeting 30-year plus mine lives at the Kevin’s Corner and Alpha West projects with longwall mining expected as early as 2016.

Kevin’s Corner also includes open cut mining for its mammoth up to 30Mtpa thermal coal target while Alpha West is expected to hit 16-24Mtpa from longwall mining.

Galilee rival Waratah Coal and its big Chinese partner aim to produce 9Mtpa through four longwall mines in their Galilee Coal project which also includes two proposed 10Mtpa open cut mines.

Last year this consortium had the ambitious goal of completing this project by 2014.

Outside of new longwall projects – the existing Broadmeadow and North Goonyella longwall mines also aim to introduce equipment capable of longwall top coal caving.