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 sections within the open cut. The working sections are separated by thin claystone horizons.

Current planning is for the open cut extension to mine the full seam, and the underground operations will mine the lower section of the Ulan seam. The lower section has low ash content and an average thickness of 2.75 metres; varying from 2.4 metres in the north- west, and up to 3 metres in the south.

Within the areas to be worked throughout the mine life, the depth of cover will generally increase where extraction progresses toward the north east, due to a combination of topography and a dipping seam.

The Ulan Mine has a long history of open-cut and underground mining dating back to the 1920’s. Currently, underground mining is active within Ulan No. 3 and Ulan West Underground.

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. Panel extraction timing is outlined in MOP Plan 3A. The Ulan Underground is currently operating with an expected mine life up until approximately 2029.

During 2019 Ulan No.3 completed the extraction of LWW5 and heading development of LWW6 and commenced development of LWW7.

The Ulan West Mine entry is via entry portals directly into the Ulan seam via the Ulan West Box Cut. The Ulan West Mine Plan has main headings in the south of the mine plan with approximately 400m wide longwall panels to the North. Development of roadways is completed using continuous miners with shuttle cars and conveyors to remove the coal. Ulan West will utilise standard longwall mining methods and target the economic portion of the Ulan Coal Seam. The longwall face is installed at the northern end of the panel and mining progresses south toward the main headings to complete the longwall extraction. Panel extraction timing is outlined in MOP Plan 3A. The Ulan West underground mine is currently operating with an expected mine life up until approximately 2031.

During 2019, mining was active within the Ulan West Underground in longwall panel LW5 and headings development commenced for LW6.

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 for either an individual, or any combination of, direct plant feed, raw coal stockpiling or reclamation from the stockpile by a bucket wheel reclaimer.

A 1000 tonne surge bin distributes feed to a nominal capacity 1200 tph between two modules. The CHPP utilises dense medium baths, dense medium cyclones and water washing cyclones to separ ........