Peabody to shut Wilkie Creek, 200 jobs affected
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – US energy major Peabody Energy on Tuesday announced that it would cease production at its Wilkie Creek coal mine, in Queensland.
The company said that the mine would be closed by the end of 2013, adding that about 200 employees and contractors had been notified of its decision.
“We have completed our strategic review of the Wilkie Creek mine, and we have begun the process of winding down operations,” said Peabody Energy Australia president Charles Meintjes.
Labour union CFMEU’s Queensland VP for mining and energy, Shane Brunker, called on Peabody to put the interest of its employees first. “While the company has promised to try and relocate workers who don’t want to take redundancies, it should give them enough time to consider their futures.
“It should also allow them to take a redundancy later if they find relocating to New South Wales or the Bowen basin doesn’t work for their families.”
Brunker said the union was very disappointed in Peabody's decision to close down the mine, adding that the operation had remained productive.
“Peabody has been trying to sell it for a number of reasons that have nothing to do with productivity or profitability,” he added.
The Wilkie Creek opencut mine delivered some 1.5-million tonnes of saleable coal. However, in September, Peabody reported a loss of $45-million at the mine as a result of the current market conditions.
The company has been attempting to sell the mine for a reported sales price of A$500-million.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Established on 1 March, 2000, by Barries Barnard, Advanced Fire Suppression Technologies (AFST) and the Advanced Group stands as Sub-Saharan...
VISIT SHOWROOM
As one of South Africa's leading manufacturers, Bell Equipment distributes and exports its wide range of heavy equipment globally to mining,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
