The coal resource at the Stratford Mining Complex (SMC) is located within the Permian aged Gloucester Basin in NSW.

The SMC is located in the central eastern flank of the north-south trending synclinal structure of the Gloucester Basin. In this area, a thick sequence of Carboniferous volcanics is overlain by late Permian sedimentary strata including coal seams. The Permian succession is divided into the following three groups (oldest to youngest):
• Stroud Volcanics;
• Dewrang Group; and
• Gloucester Coal Measures.

The target coal seams at the SMC are located within the Craven and Avon Subgroups of the Gloucester Coal Measures and within the Dewrang Group, including:
• Marker [M7] Seams;
• Bindaboo Seams;
• Deards Seams;
• Cloverdale Seams;
• Roseville Seams;
• Bowens Road Seams;
• Avon Seams;
• Glenview Seams;
• Marker 2 Seams;
• Triple Coal Seams;
• Cheer-up Seams;
• Clareval Seams; and
• Rombo Coal Seams.

The Cloverdale, Roseville, Marker, Bowens Road and Avon Seams have been previously mined at the SMC. Coal seams in the project area are generally of constant thicknesses except to the east where thrust faulting has thickened and repeated strata, which is further complicated by the steeply dipping syncline structure.

Stratford Mining Complex (SMC) consists of an open-cut mine which utilises truck and excavator mining methods to produce ROM coal.

The following key activities were undertaken during the reporting period:
• Mining continued in the BRN Open Cut and the Roseville West Open Cut within the existing footprints;
• Mining in the Avon North Open Cut advanced to the full proposed mining footprint;
• Mining in the Stratford East Open Cut advanced to the south with further development of the waste emplacement, water division systems and haul road network; and
• Reprocessing of coal from both the Western Co-disposal area continued during the reporting period.

Mining operations are permitted 7 days per week.

BRNOC
The BRNOC is an existing mining area located north-west of the Stratford Main Pit. Mining of the BRNOC pit will be completed during 2021. Progressive backfilling of the BRNOC has commenced. Access to the BRNOC will continue to be via an existing haul road north of the Stratford Main Pit.

Avon North Open Cut
The Avon North Open Cut is an existing mining area located north-east of the Stratford Main Pit. Approximately 4.3 Mt of ROM coal will be mined from the Avon North Open Cut over the life of the pit, targeting the Avon, Marker 2, Glenview, Triple Coal and Rombo groups of seams.

Access to the Avon North Open Cut will be via the existing haul road east of the BRNOC Pit to the toe of the North ........

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