The Green Range project properties are situated 40-70km from the proposed capesize port upgrade at Albany and will be targeted for 400-500 million tonnes of sub-bituminous coal based on exploration work carried out in 2001 and the 1980s.
AMMG managing director Ric Dawson said Green Range was a significant addition to the Perth-based explorer’s portfolio due to its strategic location and promising historical exploration results.
“The project is located in close proximity to the existing Albany port infrastructure as well as the proposed upgraded infrastructure associated with Grange Resources’ $2.8 billion Southdown magnetite project,” he said.
Albany port on WA’s southern coast is proposing to expand its capacity from 4Mt to 11Mt to assist regional magnetite projects and address the shipping demands of the state’s growing iron ore industry.
Diamond drilling at Green Range carried out by Phanerozoic Energy in 2001intersected 4.95m of coal at a depth of 66m.
Exploration work in by BHP Minerals Exploration and Rio Tinto/CRA Exploration in the 1980s identified a 20km strike of high-moisture, medium-ash brown coal.
AMMG said it expected lower environmental concerns developing Green Range as much of the surrounding area was private cleared freehold agricultural land without native title.
Almost all of WA’s coal is mined in the Permian-age Collie Basin, which contains some 1.3 billion tonnes of sub-bituminous coal 200km southeast of Perth.
