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Rix Creek Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Singleton, New South Wales, Australia.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Rix Creek Coal Mine | Singleton, New South Wales, Australia | -32.52393559, 151.1208768 (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 | – | 1990 | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8[1] | 5.147[1] | 2022[1] | Underground & Surface | Mixed | – | 60* | 504* |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | – | Hunter | Bituminous | Thermal & Met | – |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Bloomfield Collieries Pty Ltd | Bloomfield Group [100.0%] | Australia |
Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)
| ROM or Saleable | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROM | 0[2] | 1[2] | 0[3] | 0[3] | 4[1] | 5[1] | 4[1] |
Expansion/Extension
Table 6: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Project Type | Project Phase | Added Capacity (Mtpa)* | Start Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed | Permitted | Extension | – | – | – |
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.
Coal Mine Background
In December 2015, HV Coking Coal (Glencore) completed the purchase of 100% of the Integra Mining Operations Complex, renaming it Rix’s Creek North.[4] Bloomfield Collieries (BCL) subsequently purchased from Glencore, the previous Integra open cut operations, coal handling preparation plant, train loading infrastructure and the rail loop. Under the “Operating, infrastructure access and services agreement”, entered into by Glencore and BCL, all existing mining operations covered by the 2010 Integra complex consent, Integra underground project and project Integra open cut project, can continue. BCL operate the open cut operations as Rix’s Creek Northern Operations (RCN). This governs open cut mining in the Camberwell Pit area. Delivery of coal from the underground mine, coal preparation and train loading operations are all operated and managed by BCL.[5]
In 2009, the Integra mine was owned by Integra Coal, which is 61.2% owned by Vale Australia with other partners being NSC, JFE, Posco and Toyota.[6]
Expansion
The mine has had a number of extensions granted. Most recently in October 2019 with operations allowed to continue until 2040, instead of closing in 2020.[7]
Tim Buckley of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis said, "The decision to approve expansion of the Rix’s Creek coal mine by the New South Wales (NSW) Independent Planning Commission (IPC) was based on a lopsided cost benefit analysis that minimised tax benefits and cost externalities to the people of NSW, a wrongful representation understating the mine’s rehabilitation needs, and extraordinary pressure from NSW government ministers following a campaign led by the NSW Minerals Council."[8]
The extension application was approved by the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) on 4 October 2019. A few hours later, the IPC reversed its approval. On 12 October the Rix’s Creek Extension Project was again approved by the IPC, less than 24 hours after new submissions were received. The IPC had failed to wait until the deadline for submissions regarding the extension application, hence making the decision twice, with little time to come consider fully all representations.[8]
Some of the opposition to the extension of this mine comes as a result of the cumulative impact of the significant number of mines operating in the Hunter Valley.[8]
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 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20240208193734/https://www.bloomcoll.com.au/uploads/RCM_Annual_Review_YEM-2023_Final.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 08 February 2024.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 (PDF) https://www.bloomcoll.com.au/uploads/Reg-docs/Bloomfield/Annual-Review/Annual-Review-Report-2018.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 (PDF) https://www.bloomcoll.com.au/uploads/Bloomfield-Colliery_Annual-Reveiw-2020.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Bloomfield Group, "Our history", Bloomfield Group website, accessed 22 November 2019.
- ↑ Bloomfield Group, "Rix’s Creek Mine 2018 Annual Review", page 10, Bloomfield Group website, 29 March 2019.
- ↑ Vale, "Annual Report 2009: Coal", Vale, accessed January 2011.
- ↑ Bloomfield Group, "Rix’s Creek Mine 2018 Annual Review", page 2, Bloomfield Group website, 29 March 2019.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Tim Buckley, "IEEFA Australia: Rix’s Creek Coal Mine Extension approved despite wrongful representation of cost externalities and increase to global emissions", IEEFA website, 30 October 2019.
