Yancoal to place Donaldson operation into care and maintenance

Australian coal company, Yancoal, is to put its Donaldson operation – which includes the Abel underground coal mine – into care and maintenance in June 2016, the company said in a recent press release, following a reduction in mining activities and the start of new feasibility studies.

“The move to care and maintenance is in response to ongoing global market challenges as the operation considers the future development of new underground working areas,” the company said.

The winding down of production will begin in mid-March with the move from three mining units to two at the Abel mine.

The Donaldson operation currently employs 103 people. Only 11 fulltime roles will be required to support the operation as it moves to care and maintenance and continue feasibility studies with the remaining staff offered voluntary redundancy or the opportunity to move to other Yancoal operations, where available.

“Yancoal is committed to redeploying affected Donaldson employees across its Hunter Valley underground operations where possible,” said the company. “Yancoal will continue to engage with its emloyees throughout the change in operations to ensure they understand their options and have access to redeployment, external employment, redundancy and counseling assistance services as required.”

The Abel mine produces thermal and semi-soft coking coal for export through the Port of Newcastle. In 2015, the mine producers 1.81 million t of ROM coal and 1.34 million t of saleable coal.

Edited by Jonathan Rowland.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/mining/03032016/yancoal-to-place-donaldson-operation-into-care-and-maintenance-2016-329/