Mining Intelligence and News
Australia

Werris Creek Mine

Click for more information

Categories

Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusClosing / Closed
Commodities
  • Coal (thermal)
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotWerris Creek mine is a part of Gunnedah mines.

Mining at Werris Creek concluded in April 2024 and the mine has now transitioned into rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation is focus on completion of the overburden dump and clean-up of carbonaceous material at the ROM Pad. Final landform design of the remaining void is still being finalised as part of a planning approval modification application.
Related AssetTarrawonga

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Whitehaven Coal Ltd. 100 % Indirect
Werris Creek Coal Pty Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
Werris Creek Coal Mine is owned and operated by Werris Creek Coal Pty Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Whitehaven Coal Ltd.

Deposit type

  • Sedimentary

Summary:

The geology at WCC (Werris Creek Coal) Mine as located within the Werrie Basin is containing Permian sedimentary and volcanic rocks that unconformably overlie the Middle Cambrian to earliest Permian basement of the Tamworth Belt, Southern New England Orogen. The geology at WCC is an outlier of the Early Permian Willow Tree Formation, which is now recognised as equivalent to the Greta Coal Measures, which unconformably overlies the Werrie Basalt.

Two lithostratigraphic units occur within the equivalent Greta Coal Measures (Skeletar Formation and Rowan Formation) and one lithostratigraphic unit from the Maitland Group (Railway View Conglomerate) are recognised in the Werris Creek outlier. The equivalent Greta Coal Measures contains at least nine coal seams, with the formal names of coal members chosen to correspond with the earlier alphabetical seam identification. The coal seams range in depth from as little as 10m at subcrop to an estimated 180m in the centre of the basin. Weathering depths range from 10 – 50m. Individual seam thicknesses are up to 8m but are more commonly in the range 3 - 4m. Underlying the coal measures is the Werrie Basalt, a sequence of deeply weathered basaltic lavas, volcanoclastics and palaeosols.

The Werris Creek coal deposit is contained within a closed syncline whose longitudinal axis is oriented NNW-SSE. Dips near subcrop are up to 60o , but flatten towards the centre of the basin. The irregular upper surface of the Werrie Basalt may have affected deposition of the overlying coal measures. A basement high is thought to be responsible for the thinning of G Coal in places, and up to 40m relief is inferred. A number of small faults with displacements of up to 2m were recorded in the old underground workings. A complex NNW- trending graben structure traverses the open cut mine, with displacements of up to 5m. Faults are also inferred from boreholes. Dykes were also recorded in the old mine, in the open cut and in boreholes.

The coals at Werris Creek are bituminous, high volatility (VM+/-35% daf), low sulphur (<0.35%) and vitrinite-poor. The coals are non-swelling to very weakly caking. Ash content is generally low to medium.

Reserves

Lock

- subscription is required.

Mining Methods

Lock

- subscription is required.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Lock

- subscription is required.

Processing

Lock

- subscription is required.

Production

CommodityUnits2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Coal (metallurgical & thermal) t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,550,144 1,982,031 1,838,375 1,369,269 2,038,766 
All production numbers are expressed as ROM coal. ^ Guidance / Forecast.

Operational metrics

Metrics2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Coal tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,499,822 t of ROM coal1,804,869 t of ROM coal1,867,752 t of ROM coal1,859,793 t of ROM coal2,045,807 t of ROM coal
Waste  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe14,517,443 bcm14,274,779 bcm14,254,064 bcm12,812,659 bcm13,060,983 bcm
^ Guidance / Forecast.

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Lock

- subscription is required.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNamePhoneProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ........... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 3, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 3, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 3, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 3, 2024

Total WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2023
...... Subscription required 2022
...... Subscription required 2021
...... Subscription required 2020
...... Subscription required 2019
...... Subscription required 2018
...... Subscription required 2017
...... Subscription required 2016

Aerial view:

Lock

- subscription is required.