Photo by: Bloomberg
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Whitehaven Coal has reported a lift in production during the March quarter, with run-of-mine (RoM) production up to 5.9-million tonnes during the three months under review.
This was up from the 5.4-million tonnes produced in the previous quarter, and the 5.6-million tonnes produced in the previous corresponding period.
Saleable coal production in the March quarter was reported at 5.2-million tonnes, up from the 5-million tonnes produced in the previous quarter, and the 5-million tonnes reported in the March 2017 quarter.
The Maules Creek mine, in New South Wales, set a RoM production record during the quarter, producing 2.9-million tonnes, an 11% increase on the previous corresponding period. Saleable coal production from the mine was also up by 7% on the March 2017 production figure, to 2.6-million tonnes.
The Narrabri mine produced 1.2-million tonnes RoM coal during the quarter, an 11% decline on the previous corresponding period, after the operation suffered from production delays due to mechanical problems and localized weighting events.
The Gunnedah opencut operations produced a record 1.7-million tonnes RoM coal for the March quarter, up from the 1.69-million tonnes in the previous corresponding period, while saleable coal production was also up from 1.39-million tonnes to 1.41-million tonnes over the same period.
Whitehaven on Tuesday reported that managed coal sales, including the sale of purchased coal, for the March quarter was up by 10% on the previous corresponding period, to 5.4-million tonnes, while equity coal sales were up by 11% in the same period, to 4.2-million tonnes.