The local landscape comprises Tertiary Basalts (Tb) that overly Permian Rangal Coal Measures, Bandanna Formation, Baralaba Coal Measures (Pwj, sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, coal, tuff, conglomerate), late Permian age Black Alley Shale (Pbs, mudstone, siltstone, tuff, sandstone), Peawaddy Formation (Pbp, mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coquinite), Cattle Creek Formation (Pbk, quartzose to sub-labile sandstone and mudstone) sloping gently (1–3%) to the floodplain of Spring Creek (Qa, comprising quaternary clay, silt and gravels). Remnants of formerly more widespread basalt flows occur extensively around Rolleston.

Geomorphic domains described refer to land system mapping (Story et al., 1967). The geomorphology is associated with erosional surfaces on fresh rock below the Tertiary weathered zone. The MDS ML traverses undulating hills and plain sequences of two land systems: (i) Oxford Undulating Lowlands, and (ii) Waterford Low Hills.

The Meteor Downs South mine is an open-cut coal mine situated on Mining Lease (ML) 70452, approximately 25 km west of Rolleston in central Queensland. Operated as a joint venture between Sojitz Coal Mining Pty Ltd and Endocoal Limited, the mine is authorised to produce 2 million tonnes per annum of coal.

The Meteor Downs South (MDS) project is a single open cut coal operation to be developed over nine years. The coal strike length is up to 1.5km long and will result in a final void depth of 80m below ground level. The project has 13 million tonnes in reserves with a projected production rate of 500ktpa during the first two years of export grade thermal coal. The MDS project plans to ramp up to production of 1.5mtpa by Year 4. Standard open pit mining is proposed using truck and shovel methods (with dozer assist) to target an average seam depth of 6m and an average strip ratio of 6:1 during the life of mine.