Completion of expansion works at both the Curragh mine in Queensland’s Bowen Basin and the Bengalla open pit in Hunter Valley, New South Wales, added significantly to the increase.
The Brisbane-based miner noted construction developments over the quarter at Bengalla raised the mine’s capacity from 7.8 million tonnes per annum to 9.3Mtpa of thermal coal while a $286 million expansion at Curragh lifted the operation to 8.5Mtpa.
Metallurgical coal production at Curragh increased 31% from the previous quarter and 87% from the same period last year.
Thermal coal at Curragh, however, fell 12% compared to the March quarter this year though it showed a 9% increase against the June quarter last year.
The company also reported that overburden removal was 11% lower than the previous quarter.
