Goonyella Riverside Mine

Goonyella Riverside Mine
Location
Goonyella Riverside Mine is located in Australia
Goonyella Riverside Mine
Goonyella Riverside Mine
Location in Australia
LocationMoranbah
StateQueensland
CountryAustralia
Coordinates21°45′32″S 147°58′37″E / 21.759°S 147.977°E / -21.759; 147.977
Production
ProductsCoking coal
Production17,100,000 Tonnes / Year
History
Opened1971
Owner
CompanyBHP Mitsubishi Alliance

Goonyella Riverside Mine is a large open cut coking coal mine in the Bowen Basin.[1] It is one of many coal mines in Central Queensland, Australia and is located at Moranbah about 30 km north of the township.[2] The mine produced 12.4 million tonnes of metallurgical coal from July 2012 to June 2013.[3] In 2019 this figure was 17.1 million tonnes.[4]

It is owned by BHP Mitsubishi Alliance.[5][6] The Goonyella Upper Seam, the Goonyella Middle Seam and the Goonyella Lower Seam are all mined at the site. The coal is well known for its great coking characteristics. Much of the coal was such a high grade, the wash plants were often programmed to add ash to meet the contracted export quality targets.

History

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The Goonyella Mine was developed by Central Queensland Coal Associates, (Utah International Corporation 85% and Mitsubishi Development Co 15%) before being sold to BHP.[7] Operations commenced in 1971 at Goonyella while mining began at Riverside in 1982.[8] The Riverside deposit became depleted in 2005.[4]

On 12 November 2019, BMA Operations announced that it would automate 86 Komatsu Trucks by 2020.[9] The announcement was openly criticised by the CFMEU Mining & Energy Division and the Queensland Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington who stated that approvals to the mine operation should be reviewed.

The mine is colour coded to "Goonyella Green", and the haul trucks were given names of racehorses.[10]

Coal is exported by the Goonyella railway line via Hay Point to markets worldwide.[11]

Safety

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The mine has recorded four fatal accidents since 1990.[12] Queensland miner Tyrone Buckton died in 2018 after being diagnosed with silicosis which is caused by high levels of exposure to silica dust.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Welcome to Goonyella Riverside Mine" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  2. ^ "About Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance". Archived from the original on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  3. ^ "BHP Billiton may cut coal output at big Australian mine". Reuters. 11 June 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.[dead link‍]
  4. ^ a b "Goonyella Riverside mine: Excellence in automation". The Australian Mining Review. 5 September 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  5. ^ "Our business". BHP. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  6. ^ "Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd". The Queensland Resources Council. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  7. ^ Massive Coal Trains Move Over Queensland's Heaviest Tracks Railway Transportation December 1971 page 19
  8. ^ "Welcome to Goonyella Riverside Mine" (PDF). BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance. June 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  9. ^ "BMA announces automation at Queensland coal mine". Australasian Mine Safety Journal. 12 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  10. ^ Mining for Dummies. Tererai Dube.
  11. ^ Governor-General Opens Central Queensland Coal Project Network November 1971 page 1
  12. ^ "Goonyella Riverside Mine- Mining Accident Database". www.mineaccidents.com.au. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  13. ^ Michael, Atkin (7 June 2018). "Coal miner's death after silicosis diagnosis a warning on dangerous dust levels". ABC News. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
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