Contracting group Allied Mining Australia has won a contract to develop 21 kilometres of development at the Moranbah North mine of Anglo Coal Group, located in Queensland Bowen Basin.
The gateroads - 104 and 105 - will be driven 5.5m wide by 3.2m high using the place change system as recently used on Allied’s development of the BHP Goonyella Exploration Adit. The same method was also previously used for the mains development contract at Moranbah North. Allied has commenced mobilisation at the mine with operations scheduled to commence mid-November.
Allied will transfer the major plant for the contract from the nearby Goonyella Exploration Adit Project for BHP. This project is now in the final stages of completion after advancing some 3200m east from the Ramp 4 Highwall, as well as a small twin heading development to the south.
The results from the exploration adit will be used by BHP to assist in the final planning for a possible new longwall mine at Goonyella. Following completion of the exploration phase at Goonyella, the adit will be placed onto a care and maintenance basis. BHP will now continue with a further 12 months of detailed planning and cost studies to enable final mine approval. (see related article, URL below).
Allied’s primary mining fleet at Moranbah North will be an Eimco Dash 3 Miner, a Fletcher Twin Boom Bolter and three Joy 15SC Shuttle Cars. About 70 employees will be housed in the nearby township of Moranbah.
In a first for Moranbah North the maingate panels 104 and 105 will be developed using a three entry system with pillar sizes of 60m x 25m. The main reason for this is in preparation for gas drainage. As the panels get up to lengths of around 4.3 km, and up to 6.5 km in about ten years time, ventilation becomes more crucial.
Allied have also been awarded a drainage sump at the inbye end of the 103 maingate development. Having previously developed the 102 sump by drill and blast methods, Allied is examining with Moranbah North Coal the optimum solution to the 103 sump. Those works will be undertaken when Moranbah North Coal have completed the development of the 103 maingate.
