Queensland Coal Mines/Sites
127
Blackwater
Bowen
Operator
BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance
Principal Holder BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance
Phone: +61 7 3226 0600 Fax: +61 7 3229 2575
Location
24km south of Blackwater.
Coal Measures:
Major Beneficial
Owner/s
Main tenements
Geology
Rangal Coal Measures of Late Permian age, dipping 3 to 5 degrees
to the east. Three major coal seams are present: Top (Aries) - 0.8m
to 1.5m; Middle (Castor) - 2m to 3.5m; Main Lower (Taurus/Argo) -
5m to 7m. Complex seam splitting occurs along the strike length of
the mine. Seam details quoted are for the Wilpena and South pit.
Mining Method Open-cut using draglines and a shovel/truck operation for overburden
removal.
Rangal
Transport
320 km by rail to the port of Gladstone.
Preparation plant Heavy medium cycloids, spirals and froth flotation circuits.
Product Coals Medium volatile hard coking coal, medium volatile weak coking coal
and medium volatile thermal coal.
Comments
The integration of mining activities on the Blackwater and South Blackwater mining leases was completed by BMA during 2002,
following the acquisition of QCT Resources Limited by BHP and Mitsubishi in 2000. The combined open-cut operation reached the
targeted production rate of 13.5 Mtpa of saleable coal early in 2002. Contiguous down-dip coal resources in the Sirius Creek,
Humbolt and Togara South areas are being investigated as part of the longer-term resource development plans for the Blackwater
project. The BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) commenced operations on 1 July 2001, following finalisation of the agreement between
BHP Billiton Limited and Mitsubishi Development to move to equal ownership of the Central Queensland Coal Associates and the
Gregory Joint Ventures.
Working
Status:
Mine
Type:
Related Website
Basin:
Synonyms:
Address
Riverside Centre 123 Eagle St
BRISBANE Qld 4000
Very Large
Very Large
Very Large
Very Large
Size*:
Production
13.1 Million tonnes per annum (2003 - 04).
GPO Box 1389
BRISBANE
Qld 4001
Street
Postal
Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd
BHP Billiton Limited
ML 1759
ML 1762
ML 1767
ML 1771
ML 1773
ML 1792
ML 1860
ML 1907
ML 70139
ML 70167
Coal Quality
Brand
Moisture Ash
Specific Sulphur
Total (ad)
energy (ad)
(ad)
(ad)
Volatile
matter (ad)
Fixed
carbon (ad)
CSN
Blackwater Weak
7.6 11.3
26.39
33.8
47.3
Blackwater Coking
2
8
31.97
0.5
27
63
6
Blackwater Thermal
2
15
29.31
0.65
24
59
South Blackwater
2 13.2
29.73
0.6
26.5
58.3
2.5
South Blackwater
2 6.2
32.45
0.42
28.9
62.9
7
* Sites: Small < 50Mt, Medium 51 to 150Mt, Large 151 to 500Mt, Very Large > 500Mt measured and indicated
Mines: Small < 2Mt, Medium > 2Mt < 10Mt, Large > 5Mt < 10Mt, Very Large > 10Mt annual saleable coal production
Data updated March 2005