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Curragh Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Blackwater, Queensland, Australia.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Curragh Coal Mine | Blackwater, Queensland, Australia[1] | -23.493219, 148.842723 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Project Phase | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating | – | Stage 1 | 1983 | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13.5[2] | 12.161[3] | 2022[3] | Surface[1] | Open Pit[1] | 126 | 60* | 817* |
Table 4: Coal resources and destination
| Total Reserves (Mt) | Year of Total Reserves Recorded | Total Resources (Mt) | Coalfield | Coal Type | Coal Grade | Primary Consumer/ Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 205 | – | 654 | Bowen[1] | Bituminous[1] | Thermal & Met[1] | Stanwell power station |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Coronado Global Resources Inc[1] | Coronado Global Resources | Australia, USA |
Expansion/Extension
Table 6: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Project Type | Project Phase | Added Capacity (Mtpa)* | Start Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed[4] | Pre-Permit | Extension | Stage 3 | – | 2024[4] |
Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the GEM April 2024 Global Coal Mine Tracker dataset.
Background
Curragh Mine (also known as Curragh Mine Complex) is a surface coal mine owned and operated by Coronado Global Resources, near Blackwater in the Bowen Basin of Central Queensland, Australia.[5]
The mine is sometimes referred to as a complex because it consists of two distinct, active pits — Curragh North and Curragh Main. It also includes Curragh Central and Curragh South areas which may be mined in future years.[6] Curragh Mine is currently owned and operated by Coronado Global Resources Inc. (Previously, the mine was owned by Wesfarmers Curragh, a wholly owned subsidiary of Wesfarmers Resources. Wesfarmers acquired it in the year 2000 for about $200 million.[7] However, in 2017, Wesfarmers sold the Curragh coal mine to Coronado Coal Group for $700 million in a deal that would also earn Wesfarmers further payments if the coal price remains strong.[7])
Curragh was approved in November 1980 by the then Premier of Australia, Joh Bjelke-Petersen, who awarded the contract to mine to a consortium comprising Australian Consolidated Industries, R.W. Miller & Co, Mitsui, and Arco. The mine announcement was a part of a major policy announcement of approval for two new coal-fired power stations, one of which was the Callide power station.[8] The go-ahead for the mine was announced just days before the 1980 state election, which Bjelke-Petersen won.[9]
The mine, which covers an area of approximately 12,600 hectares, consists of two distinct pits — Curragh North and Curragh Main. It has been operating since 1983.[10] Approximately two-thirds of the mine's output is metallurgical coal with one-third thermal coal.
In 2017, Curragh was the sixth largest metallurgical coal mine in Australia by production.[10]
Coking coal from the mine is railed 300 kilometres to the Port of Gladstone while steaming coal is produced for the Stanwell Power Station near Rockhampton. On its website, Curragh states that "open cut reserves at Curragh allow production levels to be maintained to at least 2025."[11]
Financing
According to Australian environmental group Market Forces, in September 2019, the Australian commercial banks ANZ, NAB, and Westpac, helped loan US$550 million to Coronado Global Resources; US$200 million of which was to fund expansion of the Curragh coal mine. Market Forces points out that NAB's involvement in the funding contradicts its commitment to no longer finance new thermal coal mines or extensions.[12]
2014 Price Slide
In mid-January 2014, Wesfarmers Resources announced that it had settled price negotiations with a majority of its customers for the January to March quarter, but at a 5% discount to the preceding quarter for an average free on board price of $US138 per tonne for metallurgical coal.[13]
Platts noted that "hard coking coal from Curragh is generally viewed by the market as a second-tier product and is therefore sold at a discount to premium hard coking coal produced by Anglo American's German Creek mine in Queensland, for example."[14]
"Demand for our met coal is still strong and is growing but it's an oversupplied market," Wesfarmers Managing Director Stewart Butel told Platts.[14]
- Operator: Coronado Coal[15]
- Owner: Coronado Global Resources Inc.
- Location: 14 km North of Blackwater, Queensland, Australia
- GPS Coordinates: -23.493219, 148.842723 (exact)
- Status: Operating
- Production: 9.8 million tonnes per annum (2022)[16]
- Total Resource: 654 million tonnes (2022)[17]
- Mineable Reserves: 205 million tonnes (2022)[17]
- Coal Type: Bituminous (coking coal and thermal coal)[10]
- Mine Size:
- Mine Type: Surface[10]
- Start Year: 1983,[10] expansion planned to commence in 2020 and to reach production capacity of 15mtpa in 2023[18]
- Source of Financing: The Energy and Minerals Group[19] and through shares on the Australian Stock Exchange[20]
Expansions
Throughout its operation, the Curragh mine has undergone multiple expansions to increase its production capacity. In November 2009, Wesfarmers announced plans to expand the mine from its 6.5-7.0 million tonnes capacity to a maximum of 8.5 million tonnes. This followed Wesfarmers reaching an agreement with Stanwell Corporation on access to 46 million tonnes of coal reserves in the Curragh North mining area.[21]
In 2011/2012, the mine was expanded to increase production capacity to 8.5 million tonnes a year.[5]
In November 2016, federal regulators approved access to a further 67 million tonnes of coal across four additional pits.[22]
The project was designed to raise coal production to 8.5 million tonnes.[23].
The mine is currently pursuing a 3 million tonnes per annum expansion to extend the life of the mine. In 2020, the company announced it may defer the expansion.[24]
Coronado intends to extend the mine. The plans are worth between $80 million and $108.5 million.[25] Phase one would see Curragh volumes lifted to 13.5 mtpa by 2020 at a cost of $US8 million. Coronado would then invest an estimated $US93 million on two new pits that will see Curragh sustaining 15 mtpa from 2023.[20] The planned extension would sit between Curragh North and Curragh South and utilise existing infrastructure reducing costs.[26] The planned expansion would extend the life of the mine until 2041.[27]
Extension (Curragh North Underground Project)
Coronado also has plans to extend the life of its Curragh Mine by mining new areas. The Curragh North Underground Project Expansion works at Curragh include capital expenditure on the Curragh-North underground development.
Crane Collapse
In December 2008 a boom on a dragline collapsed while being lowered for maintenance. In a media statement the company stated that "the boom of the dragline was being lowered by four cranes and, as a result of winch failure with one of the cranes, the boom fell around 30 metres." A crane operator received minor injuries.[28][29]
Expansion Details
- Proposed Capacity:15 mtpa (3 mtpa expansion)[20]
- Start year: 2023
- Source of Financing: ANZ, NAB and Westpac among lenders which provided US$200 million for the expansion project[12]
Contact details
Website: http://www.curragh.com.au/about-us/
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 https://coronadoglobal.com/australia/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://digitalmag.theceomagazine.com/douglas-thompson/#:~:text=The%20'One%20Curragh%20Plan'%20providesreliable%20production%20from%20the%20mine.%E2%80%9D.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20240202181124/https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/coal-industry-review-statistical-tables/resource/bab54159-f38b-4e6f-8652-4b04bca29139. Archived from the original on 02 February 2024.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://www.miningmonthly.com/development/news/1451324/curragh-north-to-go-underground-by-2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 Wesfarmers, "Quarterly statement of production, development and exploration", October 20, 2011.
- ↑ "Coronado announces new Curragh mine plan targeting 15Mt of annual saleable production by 2023", Coronado Global Resources, 5 August 2019.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 James Thomson, "Wesfarmers sells Curragh coal mine for $700m", Financial Review, 22 December 2017.
- ↑ John Miner, "Queensland plans to almost double output", Sydney Morning Herald, November 25, 1980, page 2.
- ↑ Vicki Smiles, "ANI plugs into Joh's power play", Sydney Morning Herald, December 3, 1980, page 14.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Coronado Global Resources, "Australian Operations", Coronado Global Resources website, accessed March 2023.
- ↑ Curragh, "About Us", Curragh website, accessed August 2010 (unavailable).
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Funding Climate Failure: How How Australia’s big banks are undermining the Paris Agreement", Market Forces, accessed September 2020
- ↑ Wesfarmers Resources, [http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9MjE3NTI2fENoaWxkSUQ9LTF8VHlwZT0z&t=1 " Media Release, January 20, 2014.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Paul Bartholomew, "Australia's Wesfarmers settles Jan-Mar Curragh metallurgical coal contracts 5% lower on quarter", Platts, January 20, 2014.
- ↑ Henry Ballard, "Coronado becomes more ‘self-sufficient’ at Curragh", Australian Mining, 16 February 2022.
- ↑ 2022 Full Year Results Investor Presentation, Coronado Global Resources website, 22 February 2023.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 SEC 10-k Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, Coronado Global Resources website, 21 February 2023.
- ↑ Liam Walsh, "Coronado digs deeper for cheaper Aussie coal" Financial Review, 5 August 2019.
- ↑ Coronado, "Our history", Coronado website, 2018
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Matthew Stevens, "Coronado's fulfilment going unrewarded," Financial Review, 6 August 2019.
- ↑ Wesfarmers, "Wesfarmers approves expansion of Curragh Mine", Media Release, November 10, 2009.
- ↑ Peter Ker, "For-sale Wesfarmers coal mine gets expansion approval" Financial Review, 16 November 2016.
- ↑ "Thiess in deal to expand Curragh mine", Sydney Morning Herald, February 15, 2010. (This is an AAP story).
- ↑ Qld coal expansion, exports deferred as demand tumbles, Financial Review, Apr 28, 2020.
- ↑ Esmarie Iannucci, "Major investment flagged at Curragh" Creamer Media's Mining Weekly, 5 August 2019.
- ↑ Shift Miner Magazine, "Curragh Expansion" ISSUU website, 10 March 2017.
- ↑ Coronado Global Resources, "Coronado Global Resources Annual Report 2018" Page 37, April 2019.
- ↑ Wesfarmers, "Incident at Curragh Mine", Media Release, December 8, 2008.
- ↑ "Worker injured at Curragh coal mine", Sydney Morning Herald, December 8, 2008.
