Overview

Mine Type	Underground
Status	Active
Commodities	Coal (thermal)
Mining Method	Longwall Continuous
Production Start	...
Mine Life	...
Snapshot	Springvale Mine is an existing underground coal mine producing thermal coal which is supplied to both domestic and international markets. Springvale utilise the longwall retreat method of mining to extract coal from the Lithgow Seam. Mining is currently approved at Springvale Colliery up until 2028 and incorporates the following activities: • Continued use of existing facilities and infrastructure at Springvale; • Develop underground access headings and roadways from the current mining area to the east to allow access to the proposed mining areas; • Undertake secondary extraction by retreat longwall mining technique for Longwalls 418 to 432 and Longwalls 501 to 503.

Deposit type

• Sedimentary

Summary:

The Springvale holding contains seams of the Late Permian Illawarra Coal Measures, of the Cullen Bullen Subgroup.

The main structures influencing strata behaviour at Springvale are large displacement strike slip faults and small displacement normal and reverse faults. Palaris (2013) established that there were four types of geological structures within the Springvale holding. Type 1 and Type 2 structure zones are interpreted to be structures that penetrate from the basement strata, through the coal measure strata, to the surface. It is therefore likely that these structures will affect the mine subsidence movements resulting from the secondary extraction of longwalls at Springvale. Type 3 structure zones are noted to occur only to Lithgow Seam level and Type 4 structure zones occur within the basement. It is therefore unlikely that Type 3 and Type 4 structures will have any significant effect upon mine subsidence movements resulting from secondary extraction of longwalls during the MOP term.

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.

Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Processing

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Production

Commodity	Units	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
Coal (thermal)	Mt	....	....	....	....	....	2.2	3.8	4	4.3	3.5

Operational metrics

Metrics	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
Coal tonnes mined	....	....	....	....	....	2.22 Mt	3.76 Mt	4.04 Mt	4.29 Mt

Personnel

Job Title	Name	Phone	Email	Ref. Date
.......................	.......................	...........	...........	Dec 31, 2023
.......................	.......................	...........	...........	Mar 28, 2024

Employees	Year
......	2023
......	2022
......	2021
......	2020