The Springvale holding contains seams of the Late Permian Illawarra Coal Measures, of the Cullen Bullen Subgroup. The Lithgow Seam is presently mined using the longwall retreat method of mining. Depth of cover to the Lithgow Seam, directly above the proposed longwalls varies from 180 m to 420 m.

The Lithgow Seam is a medium-high volatile bituminous coal (30 % VM dry ash-free) of medium rank (0.78 - 0.95 vitrinite reflectance) containing medium ash and low vitrinite content. It is highly suitable for domestic power generation without washing. Specific energy averages 34 MJ/kg dry ash-free, ash fusion (hemispherical) is above 1,400 degrees and the coal is hard with an average Hardgrove Grindability Index of 44. Sulphur, phosphorous and chlorine are low, averaging 0.55 %, 0.028 % and 0.05 % respectively. Seam ash is low in calcium, magnesium oxide and sulphur trioxide, with aluminium oxide averaging 25 %. The seam contains negligible gas levels and has a low to medium propensity for spontaneous combustion.

Springvale utilises the longwall extraction method of mining. The mining method is supported by roadway development, mined using continuous miner units. Development activities, using continuous miners, entail the extraction of coal and installation of strata support to produce underground roadways which enable access to future longwall extraction areas.

During the MOP (Mine Operations Plan) term Springvale will develop and extract longwalls in the existing northern and southern lease areas, comprising Longwalls 421 – 422 (east of the existing workings) and Longwalls 424 – 432 (southeast of the existing workings) and Longwalls 501 to 503 (southwest of the existing workings). Due to current geology and geotechnical constraints a decision was made to remove Longwall 423 from the mine plan.

It is noted that a number of minor changes to the longwall dimensions and sequencing have been adopted in the Extraction Plan for Longwalls 424-427.

Changes include:
- Shortening the commencing (i.e. southern) ends of Longwalls 424, 425, 426 and 427 by 475 m, 215 m, 164 m and 155 m, respectively;
- Proposed Longwalls 424 - 427 have also been shifted approximately 16 m towards the west;
- The mining sequence has also been modified, with Longwall 424 now proposed to be extracted after the completion of Longwalls 425 - 427.

Coal extracted during development by continuous miners is deposited into shuttle cars for transport to the drift conveyor. Coal from the longwall shearer is also transported by an armoured face conveyor to the drift conveyor. Coal is transported from the underground workings by the drift conveyor onto the temporary ROM coal stockpile area at the pit top (maximum 200,000 tonne) via the Rill Tower. ROM coal is reclaimed from the coal stockpile area by two activators and two vibratory feeders. The feeders use vibration to feed the coal material onto the reclaim conveyor. The coal is then transferred from the reclaim conveyor to a steel frame fully clad crusher and screening plant.

The 50 mm product within the crusher and screening plant is collected in the underpan of the first stage of the screen and deposited directly onto a conveyor and subsequently transferred to the overland conveyor system without further processing. All crushed coal is transported off site and minimal r ........