Two of the tenements – Overlander and Mt Inglis – are located at the southern boundary of Endocoal’s existing Orion Downs tenement, which contains the Meteor Downs South mining lease application.

It is the site for the MDS opencut project Endocoal previously announced. Approvals work for the project is already proceeding.

Both Overlander and Mt Inglis are expected to be prospective for the Bandanna and other coal-bearing measures.

Another two of the tenements, Carfax West and Thirty Mile Creek, are located northeast of Dysart in central Queensland.

Carfax West adjoins the southwestern boundary of the Rockwood project, which contains the Rockwood anthracite/pulverised coal injection deposit.

At Rockwood the focus is shifting to determining coal preparation requirements and the likely washed product available from selected seams; the chemistry and physical properties of the anthracite; the technical marketing requirements to identify product coal specifications; marketing opportunities; and the likely customers and competitors.

Thirty Mile Creek is considered prospective for coal seams contained within the Rangal coal measures.

Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines recently notified Endocoal that it planned to grant it the 12 Mile Creek permit soon.

Located in the eastern side of the Bowen Basin this area is prospective for coal seams that lie in similar geology to that hosting the recent discoveries at the Rockwood project to the north.

Elsewhere Endocoal is priority applicant for six other exploration permits for coal.

Endocoal chief executive officer Tim Hedley said the EPCs recently granted would add prospective ground near proven success areas at both Meteor Downs South and Rockwood projects.

“These, along with other EPCs still subject to grant, will provide Endocoal with access to several new target areas within the Bowen Basin,” he said.