Name and Location
China Stone coal project, Queensland, Australia.

Client
Macmines Austasia.

Project Description
The project, located in the Galilee basin, involves the development of a large-scale greenfield coal mine, producing up to 45-million tons a year of thermal coal for the export market at a peak production rate of 60-million tons a year.

Coal will be mined using opencut and underground mining methods. Opencut mining operations will comprise truck-and-shovel and dragline mining methods. Underground mining will involve up to four operating longwalls and potentially top-coal caving.

Coal will be washed and processed on site and product coal will be transported from site to port by rail. Abbot Point is the current preferred coal terminal for export.

The bulk of the mine surface infrastructure will be located in the eastern portion of the project site.

The project includes the construction and operation of an on-site power station with a generation capacity of up to 800 MW. It will have sufficient capacity to power the mine and could potentially provide power to other users. A workforce accommodation village and private airstrip for the transport of mine employees are also proposed for the project site.

Value
$5-billion.

Duration
The mine is expected to come into production in 2017.

Latest Developments
Macmines intends to apply for Queensland government approval by mid-2013.

Hansen Bailey has been appointed as the specialist environmental consulting company for the preparation of the environmental-impact statement.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Hansen Bailey (environmental-impact statement).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Hansen Bailey, tel +61 7 3226 0900 or fax +61 7 3226 0901.
Macmines, tel +61 7 3221 4856 or fax +61 7 3229 4551.