Name and Location
Caroona coal mine project, New South Wales, Australia.

Client
Coal Mines Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of BHP Billiton.

Project Description
Coal Mines Australia is seeking approval to develop an underground coal mining operation with associated surface infrastructure in the New England North West region.

The proposed operation includes:
• an underground mining operation, within exploration licence 6505, involving a single longwall in the Hoskissons seam on Doona Ridge, and a second longwall in the Hoskissons seam on Nicholas Ridge;
• production of about 260-million tonnes of run-of-mine (RoM) coal over the life of the mine;
• production of up to about ten-million tonnes a year of saleable thermal coal;
• a mine life of about 30 years;
• the development and operation of a pit-top mine infrastructure area comprising administration offices, a bathhouse, a workshop, a store, coal stockpile areas, coal handling infrastructure, bunded hydrocarbon tanks, lay-down areas, a car parking area, an electrical substation, a muster area, associated linear infrastructure and an access road on Doona Ridge;
• the development and operation of a separate men and materials shaft;
• the construction and operation of a one-million-tonne RoM event coal preparation plant on Doona Ridge for the washing of occasional high-ash RoM coal;
• the construction and operation of a coal unloading facility on Doona Ridge to allow for transportation of Nicholas Ridge RoM coal to Doona Ridge by rail for washing;
• the codisposal of fine and coarse rejects in an emplacement on Doona Ridge, with rejects to be transported within an infrastructure corridor;
• the development and operation of a separate pit-top mine infrastructure area comprising coal handling infrastructure, coal stockpiles, an access road, a car parking area, administration offices, a muster area, an electrical substation and associated linear infrastructure for Nicholas Ridge;
• the construction and operation of separate rail loops and spurs to connect to the Binnaway–Werris Creek railway;
• the emplacement of overburden excavated during the construction of access drifts and shafts;
• the progressive development during underground mining construction and operations of sumps, pumps, pipelines, water storages and other water management equipment and structures;
• the development and operation of ventilation surface infrastructure and gas drainage infrastructure;
• the realignment of Rossmar Park road;
• the development and operation of water and gas pipelines to connect the infrastructure areas; and
• the other associated minor infrastructure, plant, equipment and activities during underground mining construction and operations.

Other associated infrastructure and activities will include:
• personnel and materials access through transport drifts from the mine infrastructure areas at Doona Ridge and Nicholas Ridge;
• personnel access through a separate men and materials shaft;
• materials handling and transport systems to convey coal from the longwall machine to the surface;
• underground equipment – a longwall mining machine, continuous miners, conveyors and bins, as well as a mobile fleet comprising load-haul dump vehicles, drill rigs, shuttle cars and personnel carriers;
• ventilation systems for air intake and to exhaust air from the mining areas;
• gas and water pipelines to allow for the transfer of gas and water between infrastructure areas;
• gas management systems to monitor and control the concentrations of mine gases; and
• water management systems to transfer groundwater that accumulates in underground workings to the surface.

Value
Not stated.

Duration
Not stated.

Latest Developments
BHP Billiton has launched an environmental approval process for the Caroona project.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
BHP Billiton, tel +61 3 9609 3333 or fax +61 3 9609 3015.