Kestrel is an underground longwall operation, encompassing the German Creek Seam. The German Creek Formation comprises quartz sandstones, sandstone, carboneous siltstone and mudstone, coal and conglomerate (Veevers J., et al, 1969). The Kestrel Mine lies on the western limb of the gently dipping Talagai Syncline, which plunges southwest between the Capella Block to the north west and the Comet Ridge to the east resulting in an overall regional dip of the stratigraphic sequence to the south and south-east. At surface an isolated pocket of German Creek Formation (Pud) outcrops near the Kestrel Mine, with the remaining tenement area covered by unconformably overlying Cainozoic aged volcanics and sediments. Tertiary aged Minerva Hills Volcanics (Tr) comprising olivine basalt, trachy basalt, minor agglomerate and tuff are eroded and deposited over the Nogoa River fluvial system as undifferentiated (Cz) soil, sand and gravels and Quaternary aged alluviums (Qa). The recent Tertiary sequence averages 65 m in thickness and ranges up to 110 m. As many as eight distinct basalt flows can be recognised in the Kestrel Mine area. These are often interbedded or underlain by clay and water bearing sand/gravel beds. The main Tertiary aquifers are the basalts and the basal sand/gravel beds. Airlift water flows of >30 l/s have been measured from these aquifers. The upper German Creek Formation averages 120 m in thickness and is dominated by quartz lithic sandstones with minor siltstone i ........

Kestrel extracts metallurgical coal from the German Creek coking coal seem, via the underground longwall mining method. The Company operates at 350m to 400m depth, mining a single, 3-metre thick seam. Longwall mining is a technique which has revolutionised underground coal mining, enabling large scale and efficient extraction of coal in a cost effective and relatively safe manner when compared with other techniques such as board and pillar mining. Mechanical shearers are employed on the longwall panel, traversing across a face cutting coal with the roof supported behind the shearer with hydraulic supports. Cut coal is then transported to surface by a conveyor network. As the mining face advances the hydraulic roof supports are brought forward, the resultant goaf collapsing as earlier mined faces which are no longer supported subside. Longwall mining requires relatively benign geological conditions to be economically viable as set up costs for panel layouts are both time consuming and expensive, with the equipment unable to make radical changes in orientation should unexpected geological conditions be intersected. Longwall equipment: - 2x dual Longwall shearers. Capable of mining up to 3000 tonnes per hour, the Company use modern longwall shearers, which can be run in automation allowing for roof and floor to be cut consistently during extraction; - Longwall shields. Rated at 1250 tonnes each, with 198 x 2m shields making up the current face configuration with three extra sh ........

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