Saraji East coal mine
{{#badges:CoalSwarm|Navbar-Australiancoal}} Saraji East coal mine is a proposed underground coking coal mine. It was formerly known as the New Saraji mine.[1] The proposed project would be located adjacent to the existing Saraji open-pit mine, approximately 30 kilometres north of Dysart in Central Queensland, Australia.[2] The project is proposed by the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) and would provide coal for export.[3]
If constructed the mine is expected to have a lifetime of 25 to 30 years.[4]
Contents
Location
The undated image below shows the exact location of the Saraji East mine, close to the operating Saraji mine.[5]
Coal Mine Background
The tenement was granted in 2003 to New Hope Corporation.[6]
BMA acquired the proposed mine in 2008 from New Hope Corporation for a cash consideration of approximately US$1 billion, BHP Billiton share.[1]
In 2012 the proposals for this mine were stopped by the company who cited a "challenging external environment". The applications were withdrawn from Federal Government's environmental approvals process. Prior to this the Saraji East mine was expected to produce 14 million tonnes of metallurgical coal with construction work planned to start in 2015.[7]
On 24 May 2013, BMA applied for a new site-specific environmental authority for coal mining. The Environmental Impact Assessment is being prepared as of October 2019.[2], following the terms of reference for this document being issued in June 2017. An extension has been given until June 2020.[2]
Project Details
- Sponsor: BHP Mitsubishi Alliance
- Parent Company: BHP and Mitsubishi (50:50)
- Location: 30 km north of Dysart, Queensland[2]
- GPS Coordinates: -22.371371, 148.299848 (exact)[5]
- Status: Development[2]
- Production Capacity: 7 Mt/year[2]
- Total Resource: 1,708 Mt[8]
- Mineable Reserves:
- Coal type: Coking coal[2]
- Mine Size: 160 hectares [9]
- Mine Type: Underground, longwall mining methods
- Start Year:
- Source of Financing:
Logistics
The coal would be exported via the Goonyella rail system that currently runs along the western boundary of the Saraji Mine or along a new greenfield railway. It would then travel 250km to be exported via either the Hay Point Coal Terminal and/or approximately 400 km to the Abbot Point Coal Terminal.[10]
Local Ecological Impact
BMA says that Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) has been identified on site by Queensland Government mapping and confirmed during field surveys. A total of 172 vertebrate fauna species were recorded during the field surveys, comprising 14 amphibians (including one exotic species), 23 reptiles, 108 birds and 27 mammals (including seven exotic species). These included 16 species listed under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 as endangered, vulnerable or Critically Endangered. They are Ornamental snake, Yakka skink, Southern snapping turtle, Dunmall's snake, Allan's lerista, retro slider, Fitzroy River turtle, Red goshawk, Squatter pigeon (southern), Painted honeyeater, Star finch (eastern), Australian painted snipe, Northern quoll, Ghost bat, South-eastern long-eared bat, Greater glider and Koala.[11]
Articles and resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 BHP, "BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance Completes Acquisition Of New Saraji Coal Project", 10 September 2008.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Queensland Government, "Proposed Saraji East Mining Lease Project", 5 June 2019.
- ↑ BMA, "Saraji East Mining Lease Project", Page 4, 10 February 2017.
- ↑ BMA, "Saraji East Mining Lease Project", Page 2, 10 February 2017.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 BMA, "Saraji East Mining Lease Project", Page 7, 10 February 2017.
- ↑ New Hope Corporation, "Directors' Annual Report and Financial Statements, 2007" Page 4, 31 July 2007.
- ↑ Andrew Duffy, "BHP dumps plans for another 3 coal mines",Australian Mining, 20 September 2012.
- ↑ BHP"Annual Report 2019" BHP, Page 282, 7 December 2016.
- ↑ BHP"Saraji Open Cut Extension Project: Underground Water Impact Report" BHP, Page 5, May 2019.
- ↑ BMA, "Saraji East Mining Lease Project", Page 20, 10 February 2017.
- ↑ BMA, "Saraji East Mining Lease Project", Page 30-31, 10 February 2017.
