Coppabella Moorvale Joint Venture (CMJV) coal deposits comprises coal seams hosted within a sedimentary interbedded package of sandstone, siltstone and mudstone. The depositional environment is interpreted as entirely alluvial with little evidence supporting marine influence. Sandy river channels traverse extensive peat mires where the peat mounds constrain the channels. Periodic high sediment flow events occasionally breach the peat levy and form lobed splays of sand and silt which cover and compress the peat. Peat growth establishes on the new surface as the locus of deposition shifts away and a second seam is established. This second seam merges with the first seam at the edges of the splay, often at a steep angle due to peat compaction related bed rotation. The deposit types of Coppabella and Moorvale South are considered to have high geological complexity based on the following factors: -Presence of intrusive sills and dykes within the Coppabella and Moorvale South deposits. This can have negative impacts on coal product yields as adjacent heat affected coal has a higher relative density and can therefore be lost during lower density washing at the coal handling and preparation plant (CHPP); -There are multiple thrust faults across Moorvale South. Whilst tonnages maybe be increased in close proximity to the thrust, quality estimates can vary due to duplication of plies within the seams and existence of fault breccia which may lead to increased ROM dilutions. Burial du ........

Conventional open cut mining methods are used at the CMJV Coal Mines. Coppabella utilizes a dragline and two electric rope shovels to perform the majority of overburden waste removal, supplemented by diesel hydraulic excavators, which are also used to mine the coal. Moorvale and Moorvale South use diesel hydraulic excavators only. All mines utilize cast and dozer push operations where applicable. Mining Process The general sequence of open cut mining is as follows: 1. Vegetation clearance and removal (including mulching). 2. Topsoil/subsoil stripping by scrapers and/or dozers with additional loading and haulage undertaken with excavators and truck. Stripped topsoil is used directly in progressive rehabilitation or is placed in stockpiles for later re-use. 3. Drilling and blasting of overburden, with some waste rock ‘cast blast’ into the adjacent mined-out strip. 4. In appropriate pit geometries, dozer pushing of blasted overburden into the adjacent mined-out strip to expose the target seam, or removal with excavator and haul truck. Coppabella also utilizes a dragline to expose the main target seam. 5. Where required, drilling and blasting plus ripping of coal/parting material. 6. Mining of exposed coal seams by excavator and loading into haul trucks for transport directly to the ROM dump hopper or ROM pads. 7. Interburden/parting material is then drilled and blasted, ripped, pushed or excavated and hauled to expose the underlying working coal sections. 8. Co ........

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The Coppabella and Moorvale Joint Venture Participants are developing a water strategy for the Coppabella, Moorvale and Millennium operations.

The Coppabella mine has 11GL of water stored in a low strip ratio section of the mine.

The strategy is to utilise the empty void at Millennium to store water from Coppabella for both the Moorvale and Coppabella operations. This strategy will allow water to be transferred in either direction in both drought and wet weather events to ensure optimum management of water resources.

Engeny have carried out the design for the pipeline construction from Coppabella to Millennium with a total distance of approximately 30km.

The design has the following requirements
•The pipe will be buried at a depth of 1.2 meters
• The trenching will be carried out with a designated trenching machine
• The trench will be 600mm wide X 1200mm deep with the trench covered daily
• Trenching will not allow open trenches over night during the construction process
• All pipe will be 450mm in diameter and have a rating of PN 16
• Telemeter will be installed at all creek crossing and critical areas to manage the risk of discharge
• Telemeter will control pump operation
• Hydro vacuuming will be carried out by a recognised Telstra contractor
• The Pumping System will deliver mine affected water to Moorvale DSA dam at 200 l/s. This water will then be pumped to Millennium void as required
• The pumping system has been designed to be reversable to allow water transfers back and forth between the Coppabella, Moorvale and Millennium operations
• An inspection regime appropriate for the level of operational use and complementary to the installed sensors, telemetry and control systems will be implemented through the SAP maintenance system as part of the mine operation plan
• Rehab of the work area will involve replacing the disturber top soil to the trenched area and scarifying the top soil then seeding the area.
• Total workforce involved with the project will be between 10 to 15 people on construction
• Long term labour requirement will form be part of the mine services group.