Rolleston coal mine

Rolleston Coal Mine
Location
Location 16 km west of Rolleston
Queensland
Country Australia
Coordinates 24°26′43.4″S 148°24′58.522″E / 24.445389°S 148.41625611°E / -24.445389; 148.41625611Coordinates: 24°26′43.4″S 148°24′58.522″E / 24.445389°S 148.41625611°E / -24.445389; 148.41625611
Production
Products Thermal coal
History
Opened 2005
Owner
Company Xstrata, Sumisho Coal Australia, Itochu Corporation
Year of acquisition 2003

The Rolleston Coal Mine is an open-cut coal mine located in Central Queensland, Australia. The mine has coal reserves amounting to 600 million tonnes of thermal coal. The mine has an annual production capacity of 14 million tonnes run of mine coal.[1] It is one of numerous coal mines in the Bowen Basin.

The mine is jointly owned by Glencore, Sumitomo Corporation and Itochu Corporation. It was acquired by Xstrata after its purchase of Mount Isa Mines in 2003. Full development of the Rolleston mine was approved by Xstrata in February 2004.[2] Mining operations begin in 2005.[2]

Rolleston Mine is approved to produce six million tonnes per year for export and two million for domestic use.[2] Coal from Rolleston Mine leaves the country via the Port of Gladstone. The majority of the mine's haulage is conducted by Aurizon under contract using diesel locomotives.[3] Coal from the mine is used to power the Gladstone Power Station.[2]

Floods

Excess water filled the mine pits in 2010 affecting production.[4] The mine was forced to declare force majeure after the 2010–2011 Queensland floods affected rail operations.[5]

Expansion

An application to expand the mine was made to the federal government on 17 May 2011.[6] The mine is located within the Fitzroy River basin which flows into the Coral Sea. An expansion of mining operations may indirectly affect the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park through sedimentation and the pollution of waterways.[7] The expansion would lift production almost threefold to between 15 and 20 million tonnes a year.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Bowen Basin coal mines". bowenbasin.com. 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Rolleston". Glencore Xstrata. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  3. ↑ "Aurizon signs with Xstrata for Rolleston haulage". Australian Journal of Mining. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  4. ↑ Esmarie Swanepoel (11 March 2010). "Rolleston pits still in 'recovery mode' after rains". Mining Weekly. Creamer Media. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  5. ↑ Jessica Burke (4 February 2011). "QLD coal mines undamaged by Cyclone Yasi". Australian Mining. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  6. ↑ Cole Latimer (18 May 2011). "Xstrata Coal push ahead on Rolleston". Australian Mining. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  7. 1 2 Peter Ker (18 May 2011). "Xstrata gives green light to Rolleston expansion". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
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