Name and Location
Bulga coal complex optimisation project, New South Wales, Australia.

Client
Bulga Coal, a subsidiary of Glencore Coal.

Project Description
The Bulga coal complex is located in the Upper Hunter region and is adjacent to the Mt Thorley Warkworth coal complex.

Glencore proposes to expand and continue the Bulga opencut mining operations to access 205-million tonnes of coal from seams within and beneath the existing opencut mine. The aim is to extend the life of the mine for an additional 11 years while maintaining the current production rate of 12.2-million tonnes a year of run-of-mine (RoM) coal.

The main elements of the project include:
• continuing the opencut mining operations at the current approved 12.2-million tonnes a year of RoM coal;
• extracting the resource from three contiguous pits – Main pit, South pit and East pit – and one smaller pit – Bayswater pit;
• two new out-of-pit overburden emplacements;
• realigning infrastructure, which is currently within the proposed footprint;
• processing the RoM coal at the existing 20-million-tonne-a-year coal-handling and preparation plant, and loading product onto trains at the Saxonvale rail loop for transport to Newscastle; and
• progressive rehabilitation of the site.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Value
$368-million.

Duration
Not stated.

Latest Developments
The New South Wales Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) has approved the Bulga optimisation project.

The PAC has indicated that the project will have a relatively minor impact on the environment if the recommendations made by the commission are implemented.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Bulga Coal, tel + 61 2 6570 2400 or fax +61 2 6570 2450.