The company’s Blackwater, Daunia, Caval Ridge and South Walker Creek mines had reported record production but its December half figure was still 3% down on the previous corresponding period at 20.9 million tonnes.
BHP Billiton has left its guidance for the 2016 financial year unchanged at 40Mt.
A convergence event at the Broadmeadow mine, which has since resumed normal operations, and completion of longwall mining at the Crinum mine hampered production last year.
The convergence event at BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance’s Broadmeadow longwall top coal caving coal mine in the Bowen Basin occurred in October.
The company has denied reports suggesting the longwall was “iron bound” are inaccurate and that the longwall resumed operating in November following a number of weeks of work to respond to the convergence event.
As reported in International Coal News, BMA said the incident did not involve a cave-in.
A spokeswoman for BMA told ICN: “The structural integrity of the longwall remains intact. The definition we are using is ‘convergence’ – which is the result of strata above the roof of the longwall shifting and causing the roof to exert pressure on some of the longwall shields and impact a part of the longwall face.
“There was no emergency evacuation, operational procedures worked effectively, the area at risk was secured safely.”
BMA Asset President Rag Udd said BMA’s team onsite at Broadmeadow had done a “very safe and professional job in managing the recovery of the longwall”
“I want to extend my thanks for a job very well done so far in difficult circumstances,” he said.
“The demonstration of passion, innovation and a willingness to step up to safely resolve this issue has been very impressive.
“I also want to thank the other parts of the BMA business and others across the underground mining sector for the assistance we received.
“While the longwall is now partially operational, our current timetable for the longwall to resume full production is the third week of November.”
Any impact on production will be reported in the usual way in the company’s quarterly operational review, Udd said.
