Caval ridge

The Caval Ridge open cut coal mine, that is under construction by international construction company Bechtel, is located in the northern Bowen Basin, south east of the town of Moranbah. It is owned by BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA), a 50 percent each joint venture partnership between BHP Billiton and Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd.

Caval Ridge Coal Mine to Have a Life of 30 Years
The Caval Ridge mine has a coal reserve that has the capacity to produce 5.5 million tonnes of quality hard coking coal a year for the export market, for the next 30 years. It's new coal handling and preparation plant (CHPP) is to also be used by the adjacent Peak Downs Mine following its expansion program, this will add a further 2.5 million tonnes a year to its coal handling capacity. The Peak Downs coal is to be transported to the Caval Ridge CHPP by means of a conveyor system.

Caval Ridge Development Being Undertaken by Bechtel
Bechtel have the contract to construct two run-of-mine (ROM) facilities on the site along with an overland conveyor, create a crushed ore stockpile with reclaiming and stacking facilities, construct the new CHPP, build a train loading facility, produce a product coal stockpile, a mine industrial area and supply the necessary mining equipment. The removal of overburden at Caval Downs will be carried out using conventional dragline, truck and shovel equipment.

Caval Ridge Mine Includes the Heyford and Horse Pits
The Caval Ridge mine is situated 160 kilometres from Mackay in Queensland with its northern most boundary six kilometres from Moranbah, the CHPP and mine industrial area are being constructed about 16 kilometres from the town. The Caval Ridge project area is four kilometres wide and 17 kilometres long. It includes Heyford Pit that is north of Harrow Creek and Horse Pit that is north of the Peak Downs Highway. BHP Billiton Coal and its associated parties are the registered landholders of most of the lots within the project area.

Rail Connections Part of the Caval Ridge Development
A rail spur and loop from the Blair Athol line, that was part of the mine construction contract, connects with the Caval Ridge train loadout facility. Coal produced from the Caval Ridge operation is able to be taken to either the Abbot Point Coal Terminal, or to the Hay Point Coal Terminal at the Port of Hay Point. This can be undertaken via the existing Blair Athol line. Coal going to the Abbot Point Terminal would go via the Newlands and North Goonyella system when the Northern Missing Link Rail is completed. Construction began at the Caval Ridge mine in the first quarter of 2012 and its first production coal is expected to occur in 2014.

Caval Ridge Open Cut to use Strip Mining Methods
The Caval Ridge open cut mining operation will be undertaken using strip mining methods. The strips will measure from 1,500 metres to 2,000 metres in length and be 60 metres wide. They are to be constructed in a north to south direction along the discovered coal seams. Coal extraction will occur with the use of a combination of excavators, front end loaders and large coal haulers. Once a coal bed is exposed it will be blasted and loaded onto the large capacity haulage trucks. ROM (run-of-mine) coal will be taken to a raw coal stockpile for processing. Waste material will be returned to the pit as spoil.
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