Regional Geology
Dartbrook Mine is located in the northern part of the Hunter Coalfield and west of the Muswellbrook Anticline. The strata of the Permian Whittingham Coal Measures outcrop in the area and dip gently to the west. The underlying marine sediments of the Maitland Group outcrop approximately 3 km east of the site, on the eastern side of the Aberdeen Thrust. The Hunter Thrust, which represents the northern limit of the Sydney basin, is located further to the east (HLA-Envirosciences, 2000).

The Greta Coal Measures occur below the Maitland Group. These seams occur at depths in excess of 1,000 m at Dartbrook Mine (HLA-Envirosciences, 2000).

The Whittingham Coal Measures contain the coal bearing Jerrys Plains Subgroup and Vane Subgroup. Within the basin, these two subgroups are typically separated by the Archerfield Sandstone, which is a massive, well sorted sandstone unit. However, in the vicinity of Dartbrook Mine, there is no vertical separation between these subgroups, as the Bayswater Seam (the base of the Jerrys Plains Subgroup) has coalesced with the Wynn Seam (the top of the Vane Subgroup) (HLA-Envirosciences, 2000).

Four of the five main coal bearing formations within the Jerrys Plains Subgroup (namely the Malabar, Mt Ogilvie, Mt Thorley and Burnamwood Formations) are present at Dartbrook Mine. The coal seams within the Jerrys Plains subgroup generally exhibit a high degree of splitting, and major seams are generally re ........

The development consent (DA 231-7-2000) was granted on 28 August 2001. DA 231-7-2000 provides approval for longwall mining activities in the Kayuga, Mt Arthur and Piercefield Coal Seams, in addition to the previously approved mining activities in the Wynn Seam.

Mining in the Wynn Seam commenced in 1996 and was suspended in May 2004. Ten of the approved longwall panels in the Wynn Seam were extracted during this period. Mining operations were then relocated to the overlying Kayuga Seam. Mining of the Kayuga Seam commenced in 2004 and was suspended in October 2006. Only three of the 20 approved longwall panels in the Kayuga Seam have been mined to date.

Upon acquisition in 2017, the Dartbrook coal mine was not operational. Australian Pacific Coal subsequently lodged an application for approval to recommence mining operations at the Dartbrook coal mine (“Modification 7”). In March 2022, AQC entered into an agreement with the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces allowing for the recommencement of mining and a 5-year extension to operations at the Dartbrook coal mine.

The agreement allows the Dartbrook coal mine to produce a maximum of 6.0Mtpa Run of Mine (“ROM”) coal:
- a maximum of 1.5Mtpa ROM Coal from bord and pillar mining; and
- produce up to 4.5Mtpa of ROM Coal from longwall mining in the case of the above bord and pillar mining, or up to 6Mtpa with no bord and pillar mining, subject to the regulatory approval of an updated ........

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