Exports reached 1.67 million tonnes for New Hope’s recent quarter while total coal sales soared 24% year-on-year to 1.83Mt.

The quirky coal producer prefers its own reporting timeframes and its recent quarter covers the three months to the end of October.

Saleable coal production was up 8% year-on-year to 1.5Mt.

Raw coal production from its open cut mines in the state also increased 11% year-on-year to 2.97Mt.

New Hope was fortunate that it could export through its subsidiary Queensland Bulk Handling at Brisbane’s port without major rain-caused delays.

But overburden removal was down 14% on the previous quarter at New Hope’s Acland and West Morton open cut operations.

Big wet season ahead

Last month the Bureau of Meteorology warned coal producers of a potentially rough wet season ahead thanks to the La Nina weather pattern.

The pre-season heavy rainfall has already hurt stockpiles and upset preparations – providing genuine fears that Queensland mines are not ready for the wet summer.

“Inventories of raw coal and overburden in advance are currently low and, while remedial action is being taken to increase inventories, further wet weather has the potential to negatively impact saleable coal production,” New Hope warned in its quarterly.

“A review of water management and pumping action plans took place during the quarter in order to prepare for the wet season expected to begin next quarter.

“It is planned to upgrade the crusher capacity of Coal Handing and Preparation Plant No. 1 at New Acland during December.”

Moves to upgrade processing capacity can help overcome production impacts caused by wet weather events.

Wesfarmers will commission a second CHPP at Curragh to make sure the mine can export 8.0-8.5Mt per annum.

But the plant will also allow the mine to catch up with production after periods where wet weather has slowed down operations.

Rain also affected New Hope’s exploration progress in the past three months.

Shares in the company were unchanged at $5.07 this morning.