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. 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. 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. Coarse rejects and tailings from the CHPP are selectively placed within mine voids, waste rock emplacements, and approved co-disposal storage facilities. 9. Hauled overburden/interburden/parting material is placed within mine voids and associated waste rock emplacement ........

- subscription is required.