JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The installation of major coal processing infrastructure has started at ASX-listed Paringa Resources’ Poplar Grove coal mine, in the Illinois basin, Kentucky.
Construction at Poplar Grove remains on track to be completed in the third quarter, as the erection of structural support steel at the preparation plant continues and all major internal coal processing infrastructure is now being delivered and installed.
“The Paringa team continues to make great progress during the construction period at the Poplar Grove mine. We are now moving into an exciting phase of installation of the coal processing infrastructure within the preparation plant and beginning the slope decline to access the underground coal,” said Paringa MD and CEO Grant Quasha.
Further, the company has completed the steel sheet piling to maintain support at the slope portal and has started the underground excavation of the slope decline to access the underground coal.
“Mobilisation of shaft sinking equipment to construct the mine air ventilation shaft to begin next month and the installation of the barge load-out facility related infrastructure to begin in March,” he said.
Further, Paringa is in the final stages of securing a lease finance package for all mine equipment with a major mine equipment provider.
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.