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Dartbrook Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Moranbah, New South Wales, Australia.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Dartbrook Coal Mine | Moranbah, New South Wales, Australia | -32.1929124, 150.894282 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating[1] | – | 1993[1] | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6[2] | – | – | Underground | Bord and Pillar | 32.8 | 500* | 784* |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 370[3] | 2018[3] | 2534[3] | Hunter | Subbituminous | Thermal | – |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Pacific Coal | Australian Pacific Coal [100%] | Australia |
Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker April 2024 release and the September supplement.
Background
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.[4]
In 2022, the mine was approved to recommission after closure.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7]
The Dartbrook mine was authorized to re-open as an underground 'bord-and-pillar' mine in August 2019.[4] 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.[4]
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.[8][9]
In January 2024, after 18 years of care and maintenance, the Dartbrook coal mine is poised for a restart.[10]
- Operator: AQC Dartbrook Management Pty Limited[11]
- 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[11]
- Total Resource: 2.5 billion tonnes (2022)[8]
- Mineable Reserves: 370 million tonnes (2022)[8]
- Coal Type: Thermal[12]
- Mine Size:
- Mine Type: Underground
- Start Year: 1993; 2022 (restart)[11][8]
- Source of Financing:
Expansion
Meanwhile, an open cut Pre-Feasibility Study for Dartbrook mine was completed in March 2018.[13] 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.[12] The proposed open cut mine would extract up to 10 Mtpa ROM coal for up to 24 years, following a two year construction period.[12]
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.[14] 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.[15]
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 https://web.archive.org/web/20240207181614/https://www.miningweekly.com/article/dartbrook-coal-mine-to-restart-after-18-years-on-care-and-maintenance-2024-01-22. Archived from the original on 07 February 2024.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20240206181337/http://www.aqcltd.com/site/pdf/888877f0-e7d8-46f2-9eff-c59cf384021f/230331-Dartbrook-Mine-Annual-Review.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 06 February 2024.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20240206182810/https://miningdataonline.com/property/4718/Dartbrook-UG-Mine.aspx. Archived from the original on 06 February 2024.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Amelia Bernasconi and Eliza Goetze,Dartbrook coal mine approved to recommence operations in the Upper Hunter, August 8 2019.
- ↑ Projects, IJGlobal, accessed Oct 2022
- ↑ Australian Pacific Coal,Open Cut Pre-Feasibility Study for Dartbrook Project, March 28, 2018
- ↑ "Dartbrook Underground," "Australian Pacific Coal website," accessed June 2020.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Australian Pacific Coal Limited Annual Report - 30 June 2022, Australian Pacific, accessed March 2023.
- ↑ "Mod 7 - Bord and Pillar Mining and Extension", New South Wales Government Planning Portal, accessed March 2023.
- ↑ Dartbrook coal mine to restart after 18 years on care and maintenance, Mining Weekly, January 2024.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 DARTBROOK MINE ANNUAL REVIEW 2021 for Australian Pacific Coal, New South Wales Government Planning Portal, accessed March 2023.
- ↑ "Open Cut Study," Australian Pacific Coal website, accessed June 2020.
- ↑ Despite Strong Community Opposition The IPC says Dartbrook can Reopen until 2022, The Singleton Argus, August 9 2019
- ↑ 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.
