The Bowen Basin-based joint venture mine is on track to produce about 5 million tonnes a year.
The new Joy roof supports and AFC were installed in the mine's SLW5 longwall section, a block measuring 3472m deep by 225.3m wide and totalling nearly 3.5Mt of coal.
Development for the longwall is accomplished utilising two Joy 12CM12 continuous miners and Joy 15SC32 shuttle cars.
Taking just eight months to complete from ordering in September of last year to start-up in April 2007, the 127 Joy 2m wide, 2 x 120 tonne roof supports include Joy's state-of-the-art RS20s control system; and the 48mm x 1000mm raceway toe-riding AFC is equipped with the Joy Ultratrac 2000 haulage system.
The two replacement Joy BSLs have twin 35m long Joy 42mm Broadband Low Profile Chain with single 450kW inline transmissions at the delivery ends and non-driven return ends. The Joy stage loaders each are capable of handling 4800tph.
Oaky North Coal Mine is a joint venture that is 55% owned by Xstrata Coal Queensland; Sumisho Coal has a 25% interest, 10% is held by Itochu Coal Resources and the remaining 10% is held by ICRA OC.
