Name and Location
Byerwen coal project, Australia.

Client
QCoal.

Project Description
The project proposes to develop opencut mines with a run-of-mine rate of 15-million tonnes a year, producing about ten-million tonnes a year of product coal for the export market over the 50-year project life.

Production from the project will be high-quality coking coal, with some thermal coal mined from four mining zones – north, south, east and west – comprising eight openpits. The south phase comprises mining zones in the south, east and west. The north phase comprises mining zones in the north.

Mining will be undertaken by opencut using a combination of dragline, large excavator, truck and dozer equipment.

Construction in the southern tenement area for the south phase will occur before any operations and include the construction of the southern coal handling and preparation plant (CHPP), the mine infrastructure area, water management infrastructure and the southern train-loading facility.

In about Year 15 of mining operations, construction in the northern tenement area for the north phase will coincide with the planned start of operations of the openpit in the north in Year 17. Construction in the northern tenement area will include the northern CHPP, the mine infrastructure area, water management infrastructure and northern train-loading facility. Each CHPP will comprise a two-stage dense-media cyclone and spiral/reflux classifier and froth flotation operation with a codisposal system for rejects management. The southern CHPP will likely be developed in modules of either two 1 100 t/h process trains, or three 700 t/h process train configurations, while the northern CHPP will be a single 700 t/h process train.

Product coal will be loaded onto trains using two train-loading facilities in the project tenement area, located adjacent to the CHPP areas. Each train-loading facility will comprise a rail loop, train-loading bin and rail spur. The train-loading rail spur will be connected to the Goonyella–Abbot Point rail line. The southern CHPP rail spur and rail loop will be an estimated 7 km and the northern CHPP rail spur and rail loop with be about 3.5 km long. Product coal will be railed to the Port of Abbot Point coal terminal for distribution to international markets.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Value
$1.76-billion.

Duration
QCoal hopes to have project approvals finalised by early 2015. First coal is scheduled for 2016.

Latest Developments
The Queensland government has approved the project.

The approval is subject to 122 conditions. The conditions have been imposed to protect groundwater resources, surface-water quality and fauna, as well as to monitor air quality control, dust and noise.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
QCoal tel +61 7 3002 2900, fax +61 7 3002 2999 or email info@qcoal.com.au.