Name and Location
Eagle Downs hard coking coal project, Queensland, Australia.

Client
The project is a joint venture between Aquila Resources and Vale’s wholly owned subsidiary Bowen Central Coal.

Project Description
The Eagle Downs project has a 254-million-tonne reserve, located in the Bowen basin, in central Queensland.

The project involves the construction, development and operation of one of only two new underground longwall hard coking coal mines currently under development in Australia.

The mine is expected to have a 47-year mine life, with a peak production rate of 5.9-million tonnes a year and an average of 4.5-million tonnes a year from one longwall in the first ten years of full production. However, there is also potential for the installation of a second longwall for up to eight-million tonnes a year of product coal at full production from 2020.

The mine plan involves the systematic recovery of coal from the Harrow Creek Upper, Harrow Creek Lower and Dysart seams over its 47-year life-of-mine.

The project will include a 1 200 t/h coal handling and preparation plant using a standard washing process of screens, dense-media cyclones, spirals and flotation to produce a hard coking coal product.

Value
Not stated.

Duration
Project completion is expected in the first half of 2017.

Latest Developments
The contract for the construction of the drifts has been awarded to WDS Limited.

The contract is primarily rates-based, with expenditure estimated at $142.8-million. The relevant works have a planned duration of just over two years. It covers the construction of two drifts, extending about 2 km on a decline to a vertical depth of 270 m.
One drift is for men and materials and the other is for the mine drift conveyor.

The contract also includes the installation of all the permanent mine services pipelines. In addition to the Harrow Creek Upper coal seam, these drifts will be used to gain access to other coal seams where reserves have been identified.

The drifts driveage will be completed using two roadheaders, specifically engineered to meet the requirements of the contract, including onboard roof-bolting and shotcrete tunnel-lining capabilities.

Mobilisation to site is expected in the March quarter of 2014, with drifts driveage to start once mobilisation is complete.

Further work will also be undertaken to progress additional tenders and negotiations for other work packages, including the establishment of site power and raw water supply, ventilation shafts, development and longwall equipment, underground conveyors and the coal handling preparation plant, comprising rail-loop and loading facilities.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
WDS Limited (drifts construction contract).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Aquila Resources, tel +61 8 9423 0111, fax +61 8 9423 0133 or email mail@aquilaresources.com.au.
WDS Limited, tel +61 2 8908 8900, fax +61 2 8908 8910 or email wdsinfo@wdslimited.com.au.