Curragh output falls on planned mine shutdown

Coal production at Wesfarmers’ Curragh mine was hit by a planned mine shutdown during 4Q15. Overburden removal fell 32.1% on the previous quarter, while coal production fell 25.5% to 2.47 million t.

The planned shut down was scheduled to allow a power upgrade related to a required overhaul of coal crushing facilities, according to the company’s quarterly statement of production, development and exploration.

Production comprised 1.62 million t of metallurgical coal, a fall of 31.7% on the previous quarter, and 850 000 t of thermal coal, a drop of 9.7% on the back of lower opening inventories relative to metallurgical coal and lower contracted coal delivery requirements to Stanwell coal-fired power plant.

For 2015 as a whole, metallurgical coal production was down 9.5% to 8.47 million t, while thermal coal fell 4.1% to 3.44 million t.

At Bengalla, Wesfarmers share of production for 4Q15 was 866 000 t, up 6.4% on the previous quarter due to operating a more productive section of the mining sequence. For the full year, Wesfarmers’ share of production decreased by 2.9% to 3.33 million t.

Edited by Jonathan Rowland.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/mining/27012016/curragh-production-falls-on-planned-mine-shutdown-2016-126/