The Ulan Mine Complex (Ulan No.3, Ulan West) is at the western limit of the geological formation known as the Sydney Basin and at the southern end of the Gunnedah Sub-basin. The resource coal targeted for extraction is from the Illawarra Coal Measures, which are of Permian age and overlain by sedimentary formations of varying thickness and types including sandstones, shales and alluvium. Ten coal seams (nine in the west) occur within the coal measures; eight occur above (seven in the west) and one below the Ulan Seam. These seams range in thickness from approximately 0.4 to 10 metres (with the Ulan Seam being thickest). Apart from the Ulan Seam, all seams within the mining leases are considered uneconomic in the current market due to their high ash content.

The main geological features present within the Ulan Mine Complex and in particular within the underground mining area are Triassic Narrabeen Group sandstones overlying the Permian sedimentary rocks of the Illawarra Coal Measures; and some Gulgong granite. More recent Jurassic Pilliga sandstone (over Gomiala shale) caps the Narrabeen layers in the north east and quaternary sands are present along rivers and major creeks.

The Ulan Seam generally dips uniformly towards the north-east at between one and two degrees, and the seam thickness averages 5 to 7 metres (see Stratagraphic Profile) throughout the Ulan Mine Complex. It consists of ten separate plies, which are consolidated into four working secti ........

The Ulan Underground Mine (UUG), the Ulan West Underground mine (UW), the Ulan Open Cut mine, coal processing as a collective, are referred to as the Ulan Coal Complex (UCC).

Currently, underground mining is active within Ulan No. 3 and Ulan West Underground. The Open Cut mining area has been in care and maintenance since 10 October 2016. No open cut mining activities occurred during the reporting period.

The Ulan Underground entry is via a drift portal entry adjacent to the Ulan Underground Offices. The Ulan Underground Mine Plan has main headings in the centre of the mine plan with approximately 400m wide longwall panels to the West and East. Development of roadways is completed using continuous miners with shuttle cars and conveyors to remove the coal. Ulan Underground will utilise standard longwall mining methods and target the economic portion of the Ulan Coal Seam. The longwall face is installed at the end of the panel furthest from the main headings and mining progresses toward the main headings to complete the longwall extraction.

Ulan Underground mining operations included development of roadways for LWW8, LW30 and LW31, in accordance with first workings approvals. LWW6 commenced extraction on 8 February 2020 and reached zero chainage at the end of April 2021. LWW7 commenced in June 2021 and had retreated approximately 2452m as of the end of December 2021, with 1133m remaining to zero chainage. Ulan Underground produced 5.550 milli ........

The Coal Handling Preparation Plant (CHPP) processed 68.6% of Ulan West ROM coal and 22.8% of Ulan Underground ROM coal. The reject waste produced represents approximately 12.4% of the ROM coal processed by the CHPP; classified as either coarse reject and emplaced in the Barrier Pit or tailings emplaced in East Pit Tailings Dam Number 2.

Removing the bottom 3 metres of the Ulan Seam reduces the need to wash the coal; approximately < 30% of run of mine coal from the underground requires washing. All underground coal is conveyed to the surface stockpiles by the coal clearance conveyor system. Underground coal that does not require washing is crushed and conveyed directly to the product stockpiles in preparation for railing offsite. The higher ash coal is trucked to the coal wash plant reclaim stockpile where it is picked up by a reclaimer and conveyed to the coal handling preparation plant (CHPP).

CHPP has a flexible 1800 tph raw coal receivals system which allows ........