Curragh coal mine
The Curragh Coal Mine is an open-cut, coal mine located 30 km north of Blackwater in Central Queensland, Australia. The mine has coal reserves amounting to 88 million tonnes of coking coal, one of the largest coal reserves in Asia and the world. The mine had an annual production capacity of 7 million tonnes of coal.[1] The mine covers 12,600 ha of the Rangal Coal measures in the Bowen Basin.[2]
Location | |
---|---|
Queensland | |
Country | Australia |
Production | |
Products | Coking coal |
Owner | |
Company | Coronado Global Resources |
In 2012, production at the mine was increased to 8.5 million tonnes a year.[3] Later in the year operations changed from seven days per week to five.[4]
Curragh Coal Mine was previously owned by Wesfarmers Resources and has an expected mine life to 2025. Overburden is removed by Thiess.[2]
In 2017, Coronado Coal Group purchased Curragh Coal Mine from Wesfarmers Resources.[5]
Exports from the mine leave the country via the Blackwater railway system and the Port of Gladstone. Some of the coal is used to produce electricity at the Stanwell Power Station.
Incidents
In January 2020, a 33-year-old worker was killed after being trapped under heavy machinery at the mine. A number of charges relating to the incident were laid by the Office of the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor under the Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999.[6] Another worker was fatally injured at the mine in November 2021.[7]
References
- "Bowen Basin coal mines". bowenbasin.com. 2012. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- "Curragh Mine, Queensland, Australia". mining-technology.com. Net Resources International. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
- Andrew Burrell (27 July 2012). "Wesfarmers' Curragh coalmine in Bowen Basin boosts output by 18pc". The Australian. News Limited. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
- Andrew Fraser (10 October 2012). "Wesfarmers cuts operations at Curragh coalmine". The Australian. News Limited. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
- "Wesfarmers sells Curragh coal mine for $700m". Financial Review. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- Loftus, Tobias; Maddison, Melissa (12 May 2021). "Mining company charged after Goondiwindi man Donald Rabbitt died at Curragh Mine". ABC News. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- Loftus, Tobias (21 November 2021). "Worker killed at Curragh coal mine in Queensland's Bowen Basin". ABC News. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
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