Gregory Crinum mine

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The Gregory Crinum mine comprises the Gregory open-cut operations and the Crinum underground mine. In the year to June 2012 the mine produced 2.8 million tonnes.

BHP Billiton states that "Gregory open-cut coal mine became operational in 1979, with the first shipment taking place in 1980. Production has been scaled back since the commissioning of the adjacent Crinum underground longwall mine in 1997."

The mine is located is located 60km north east of the rural centre of Emerald in the Bowen Basin in Queensland. Coal from the project is exported via the port of Gladstone 375km north west of the mine.

The mine is owned and operated by BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA), a 50:50 joint venture between BHP Billiton and Mitsubishi Development. (BMA also operates the Peak Downs mine, Saraji mine, Norwich Park mine, Blackwater mine, the Goonyella Riverside mine as well as the Hay Point Coal Terminal).

Closure of Gregory open cut

In September 2012 BHP-Billiton announced that it would close the Gregory open cut mine from October 10. The company stated that, as a result of a review that "the Gregory open-cut mine production was no longer profitable in the current economic environment of falling prices, high costs and a strong Australian dollar." The company stated that it would "look for opportunities to redeploy affected employees to other BMA operations." The Crinum underground mine and the Gregory Coal Handling Preparation Plant continue to operate though these continued to be under review "to further reduce operating costs, making remaining underground production more profitable."

At the time of its closure, the Gregory open-cut employed 55 employees and 242 contractors.

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