Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Underground |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Production Start | ... |
Mine Life | 2029 |
The Aquila mine was placed under care and maintenance in July 2013.
On 9 February 2022, Anglo American announces that its new Aquila mine has achieved its first longwall shear of steelmaking metallurgical coal on schedule and on budget, marking the project’s final stages of construction and commissioning.
The Aquila mine extends the life of Anglo American’s existing Capcoal underground operations by seven years, after the company’s nearby Grasstree mine reached its end of life.
An underground longwall operation at Grasstree is replaced by Aquila.
The mine features two longwall systems which are fully remote capable from the site-based Remote Operations Centre (ROC) on the surface of the mine. |
Source:
p. 76,77
Capcoal complex is a joint venture between Mitsui Coal Holdings and Anglo American who is the operator of the mine.
Lake Lindsay and Aquila are owned by the Capcoal Joint Venture and Oak Park is owned by the Roper Creek Joint Venture.
Owing to the differing ownership structure, the attributable shareholding of Capcoal OC (Lake Lindsay and Oak Park) is determined annually using the proportion of the saleable tonnes in the individual pits. The calculated ownership percentage therefore varies each year due to differing production schedules.
In 2023, Anglo American's Ownership percentage in Capcoal Operation was 79.5% for Capcoal (OC) and 70.0% for Aquila (UG).
Contractors
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Summary:
The Aquila deposit occurs on the stable western flank of the basin. The underground Aquila operation extracts the Aquila seam of the German Creek Coal Measures.
The German Creek alluvium is located to the south of the project longwall mining area and the Little Parrot Creek alluvium is located approximately 1.6 km north-east of the project longwall mining area. In these areas, the creeks are typically incised into the landscape exposing the underlying rock in the creek bed and banks. Where present, there is typically less than 5 m of alluvium in the creek beds. Floodplain alluvial deposits are localised to the inside of meander bends and areas where the creek is less incised. In these areas the floodplain alluvium typically ranges from a few centimetres to 4 m thick. Alluvium is not present outside this localised area of creek and floodplain deposits.
Summary:
The underground Aquila operation extracts the Aquila seam of the German Creek Coal Measures. The Aquila working section is generally made up of the Aquila seam and the Aquila Lower seam split. Where the parting between the two seams is less than 0.4 m, the Aquila Lower is included in the working section.
The project comprises a single longwall underground mine and supporting infrastructure. The operation will target two seams, the Aquila and Aquila Lower coal seams. The depth of the Aquila seams from the surface varies from approximately 70 metres up to 280 metres with a nominal seam height ranging from 1.8 metres to 2.2 metres.
The longwall will be supported by two continuous miner development units with ROM coal transferred from the underground development and longwall mining units via a new underground conveyor belt system to a new surface conveyor and onto an expanded ROM stockpile.
A steady step-up in performance from the Aquila underground operation occurs due to its largely automated longwall.
The mine features two longwall systems ensuring production continuity. Both longwalls are fully remote capable from the site-based Remote Operations Centre (ROC) on the surface of the mine.
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Source:
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Production:
Commodity | Units | 2023 | Avg. Annual (Projected) |
Coal (hard coking)
|
t
| ...... | |
Coal (metallurgical)
|
Mt
| | ...... |
All production numbers are expressed as clean coal.
Operational Metrics:
Metrics | 2023 |
Coal tonnes mined
| ...... |
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Reserves at December 31, 2023:
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Marketable Coal |
Proven
|
34.2 Mt
|
Coal (metallurgical)
|
23.8 Mt
|
Probable
|
4.9 Mt
|
Coal (metallurgical)
|
2.8 Mt
|
Proven & Probable
|
39 Mt
|
Coal (metallurgical)
|
26.6 Mt
|
Measured
|
23.7 Mt
|
Coal (metallurgical)
|
|
Indicated
|
15.7 Mt
|
Coal (metallurgical)
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
39.4 Mt
|
Coal (metallurgical)
|
|
Inferred
|
2.8 Mt
|
Coal (metallurgical)
|
|
Heavy Mobile Equipment as of November 12, 2019:
HME Type | Quantity |
Continuous Miner
|
.......................
|
Longwall mining unit
|
.......................
|
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Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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