Coal developer Paringa Resources has intercepted the Western Kentucky Number 9 coal seam with the Poplar Grove primary transportation slope, marking a material milestone towards the production of coal.
The ASX- and Nasdaq-listed company said on Thursday that intercepting the coal seam enabled it to progress to the next phase of mining activities, including bottom development. This involves the linking of the slope with both the intake and exhaust air shafts to establish the mine’s permanent ventilation system, as well as the construction of critical underground infrastructure.
Production of coal from bottom development will be used to commission the coal handling and preparation plant, which is ready to receive its first coal.
The 2.8-million-tonne-a-year Poplar Grove thermal coal mine forms part of Paringa’s 40 000-acre Buck Creek complex, which also contains the 3.8-million-tonne-a-year Cypress mine, where construction is set to begin in 2019.