Lake Vermont coal mine
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The Lake Vermont coal mine is an open-cut mine owned by the Lake Vermont Joint Venture, of which Jellinbah Resources is the majority shareholder. It is located 18 kilometers northeast of Dysart in Central Queensland, Australia.
The Lake Vermont Meadowbrook Project is a current proposal which seeks to extend the mine's operations until 2063.[1] If approved, current operations will transition to underground mining with a small satellite open cut mine.[2]
Location
The map below shows the exact location of the mine in Central Queensland, Australia.
Background
Lake Vermont shipped their first coal in February 2009. Since then, the mine has undergone at least one expansion, including one in 2012/2013 which increased annual production capacity to 9.1 million tonnes per year (Mtpa).[2] As of 2020, the mine is approved to produce up to 12 Mtpa of run-of-mine coal (which equals approximately 9.5 Mtpa of saleable coal product).[3]
The mine's coal product is hauled by rail to the Port of Gladstone and Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal.[4]
Expansion Project
In August 2019, the Department of Environment and Science (DES) approved an application from the Lake Vermont Joint Venture to voluntarily prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed project, an extension to the original Lake Vermont mine known as the Lake Vermont Meadowbrook Project.[5]
The project plans include development of an underground longwall (plus bord and pillar) mine, three small-scale "satellite" open cut pits, and supporting infrastructure.[5] The intent is that the extension will begin increasing production as the original Lake Vermont coal mine winds down its coals reserves, so that overall annual production remains constant. According to the Queensland Government website: "The proposed project would enable the metallurgical and pulverised coal injection production from the existing Lake Vermont Coal Mine to be maintained at the currently approved levels of up to 12 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of run of mine (ROM) coal (equivalent to approximately 9.5 Mtpa of product coal). The proposed project would mine up to 7 Mtpa of ROM coal to produce approximately 5.5 Mtpa of metallurgical product coal over approximately 20-25 years."[5]
While the project's construction was tentatively scheduled to commence by late 2022, with the first underground coal to be mined by late 2024 and full underground production scheduled for late 2026, pending approvals has delayed this.[5][3] As of 2023, the Jellinbah Group now estimates construction will commence in January 2025 and underground mine production will be operational by December 2028.[2]
According to the Queensland Government website, the Lake Vermont Meadowbrook Project is currently in the final stages of approval (specifically, the "proponent responds to submissions" stage).[6]
Project Details
- Operator: Thiess[7]
- Owners: The Lake Vermont Joint Venture (includes the Jellinbah Group (70%); Marubeni Coal (10%); Sojitz Coal (10%); and American Metals & Coal International (10%)[2]
- Location: Near Dysart, Queensland, Australia
- GPS Coordinates: -22.4611726, 148.4056045 (exact)
- Status: Operating; Lake Vermont Meadowbrook Project is proposed[5]
- Production: 9.7 Mtpa[8][9]
- Total Resource:
- Mineable Reserves: 200 million tonnes[10]
- Coal Type: hard coking coal, low volatile PCI coal and thermal coal[4]
- Mine Size:
- Mine Type: Open cut (proposed extension will include an underground mine)[5]
- Start Year: 2009[4]
- Source of Financing:
Articles and resources
References
- ↑ Adam Morton, "Coalmine approvals in Australia this year could add 150m tonnes of CO2 to atmosphere", The Guardian, 1 September 2023.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Lake Vermont Mine", Jellinbah Group website, accessed Sept. 2023.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Terms of reference for an environmental impact statement under the Environmental Protection Act 1994: Lake Vermont Meadowbrook Project proposed by Bowen Basin Coal Pty Ltd," Queensland Government, April 2020.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Jellinbah Group", Jellinbah Group website, accessed Sept. 2023.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 "Lake Vermont Meadowbrook Project," Queensland Government, April 30, 2020.
- ↑ Lake Vermont Meadowbrook project, Queensland Government website, accessed Sept. 2023.
- ↑ "Home", Jellinbah Group website, accessed April 2023.
- ↑ Jellinbah, Company Website, accessed June 2022
- ↑ "Sojitz to Expand Lake Vermont Coal Mine in Australia," Sojitz website, December 24, 2010.
- ↑ "Coal Resources", Jellinbah Group website, accessed Sept. 2023.
