Dartbrook Coal Mine

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The Dartbrook Mine is a coal mine with underground operations located approximately 4 kilometers west of Aberdeen and 10 km north-west of Muswellbrook, in Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia.[1]

In 2022, the mine was approved to recommission after closure.[2]

Location

The satellite image below shows the location of the mine in New South Wales, Australia.

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Background

The Dartbook mine was mothballed in 2006, but in 2017, Australian Pacific Coal applied to recommence underground mine operations and began studies on the feasibility of open cut mining.[3] With regards to the recommencing underground operations, the New South Wales Department of Planning & Environment issued a positive recommendation on the proposed modification in January 2019, and referred the proposal to the Independent Planning Commission.[4]

The Dartbrook mine was authorized to re-open as an underground 'bord-and-pillar' mine in August 2019.[1] However, Australian Pacific Coal had also applied for a five-year extension on the mine's life, so it could operate until 2027. This was denied by the Independent Planning Commission. Instead, the IPC's decision would allow the mine to continue operations until December 2022.[1]

That same year, Australian Pacific Coal announced an update to the application to modify the development consent for the Dartbrook Coal mine (Modification 7). In March 2022, the Minister of Planning & Public Spaces approved the company's MOD7 appeal, allowing underground mining at Dartbrook through December 2027.[5][6]

In January 2024, after 18 years of care and maintenance, the Dartbrook coal mine is poised for a restart.[7]

Expansion

Meanwhile, an open cut Pre-Feasibility Study for Dartbrook mine was completed in March 2018.[8] Thus far, Australian Pacific Coal lodged a Gateway Application for the Project in May 2018. The company also planned to lodge a Request for Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) for the Project with DPE in May 2018.[9] The proposed open cut mine would extract up to 10 Mtpa ROM coal for up to 24 years, following a two year construction period.[9]

Opposition to the project includes the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association, who fear that the decision is a step towards open cut mining, and the Friend of the Upper Hunter, who are concerned about potential air quality impacts.[10] In fact, after some multi-million-dollar horse studs had threatened to relocate from the Hunter region due to the risk of open-cut mining, the New South Wales government stepped in to ban open-cut mining at the Dartbrook site.[11]

Mine Details

  • Operator: AQC Dartbrook Management Pty Limited[12]
  • Owner: Australian Pacific Coal (ACQ)
  • Location: Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia
  • GPS Coordinates: -32.1929124,150.894282 (exact)
  • Status: Operating
  • Production Capacity: 6 mtpa[12]
  • Total Resource: 2.5 billion tonnes (2022)[5]
  • Mineable Reserves: 370 million tonnes (2022)[5]
  • Coal Type: Thermal[9]
  • Mine Size:
  • Mine Type: Underground
  • Start Year: 1993; 2022 (restart)[12][5]
  • Source of Financing:

Articles and resources

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Amelia Bernasconi and Eliza Goetze,Dartbrook coal mine approved to recommence operations in the Upper Hunter, August 8 2019.
  2. Projects, IJGlobal, accessed Oct 2022
  3. Australian Pacific Coal,Open Cut Pre-Feasibility Study for Dartbrook Project, March 28, 2018
  4. "Dartbrook Underground," "Australian Pacific Coal website," accessed June 2020.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Australian Pacific Coal Limited Annual Report - 30 June 2022, Australian Pacific, accessed March 2023.
  6. "Mod 7 - Bord and Pillar Mining and Extension", New South Wales Government Planning Portal, accessed March 2023.
  7. Dartbrook coal mine to restart after 18 years on care and maintenance, Mining Weekly, January 2024.
  8. "Open Cut Study," Australian Pacific Coal website, accessed June 2020.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Dartbrook Newsletter," Australian Pacific Coal website, April 2018.
  10. Despite Strong Community Opposition The IPC says Dartbrook can Reopen until 2022, The Singleton Argus, August 9 2019
  11. Amelia Bernasconi and Mat Perry, "'Certainty' for Hunter Valley horse studs, as NSW Government rules out open-cut mining at Dartbrook", ABC News Australia, 22 October 2022.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 DARTBROOK MINE ANNUAL REVIEW 2021 for Australian Pacific Coal, New South Wales Government Planning Portal, accessed March 2023.

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