Curragh is situated within the Permo-Triassic aged Bowen Basin in Eastern Australia, which covers approximately 16 million hectares. Its physiographic make-up consists of lowlands, flood plains as well as rugged plateaus and ridges. The main lithological units derive from continental and marine sedimentation with limited volcanic and intrusive rocks. The principal Resources are primarily large coal fields and secondarily natural gas.

The geological setting of the property itself consists of sediments of the Rangal Coal Measures and Burngrove Formation, both of Permian age which outcrop on the property. These units underlie alluvial Quaternary cover and minor areas ofTertiary sediments. Alluvial sediments typically have an average thickness of 10 to 15 metres, with locations of up to 30 metres of sand, clay and gravel in northern areas.

The Yarrabee Tuff marker coincides with the present lower limit of Resource estimate. Five main coal seams groups, primarily of metallurgical quality with some thermal quality coals, are mined at Curragh, as listed below:
- Cancer seam
- Aries seam
- Castor seam
- Pollux seam
- Mackenzie and Pisces

The Burngrove Formation typically has thick interbedded coal and tuff beds. This coal is typically high ash and is not included in either the Resources or Reserves.

The structural environment at Curragh can be fairly complex with the observed seam deformation the result of thrust fa ........

Curragh is a production-stage mining property that consists of two active, open-pit, surface mines (Curragh North and Curragh Main). Coal mine development at the Curragh property is presently accomplished by surface mining methods and has been so historically since the mine’s inception. Curragh coals are widely known for their low ash, low to mid volatile matter, low sulfur and low phosphorous content.

The mine characteristics and output levels allow it to be ranked as a large coal operation when compared to domestic producers in Australia and worldwide. Because of its size Curragh operates 4 large electric draglines, 1 large electric shovel and a fleet of smaller contractor excavators. These are typical of large open cut mines in the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland as they offer the cheapest and most productive ways of stripping large amounts overburden. These mining methods are used for the life of mine plan.

Contract highwall mining operations has commenced at Curragh North during the 2022 calendar year.

Life of mine planned production rates vary from 3 Mt ROM per annum (pa) at the end of the schedule to a peak of 18 Mt ROM pa based on the amount of digger fleets deployed. The mining sequence starts with clearing the vegetation, removing the topsoil and stockpiling for rehabilitation. Where an area can be dug without blasting excavators free dig the overburden, otherwise drills are placed on the bench and the area is drilled out then loa ........

- subscription is required.

- subscription is required.