Tahmoor

The Tahmoor underground black coal mine, located in the New South Wales Southern Highlands, produces over two million tonnes of high quality coking coal a year that is exported out of Port Kembla for export to overseas steel producers.

Approvals Amended to Include gas Control at the Tahmoor Mine Site

Underground mining began at Tahmoor in 1979 after two ventilation shafts and the main drift were started four years earlier, in 1975, following approvals being given to go ahead with the project. Additional approvals were granted in 1979 for the construction of a Refuse Emplacement Area (REA) along with the Coal Handling and Preparation Plant (CHPP). The construction of its own CHPP meant that the coal produced at the Tahmoor Mine could be processed on-site before being transported by rail to the coal terminal at Port Kembla for shipping overseas. Approval was granted in 1985 for improved road haulage to the REA and in 1986 an amendment to an original approval allowed the construction of a plant to extract gas and the putting in of a gas drainage system.

Tahmoor Mine now Owned by Xstrata Coal NSW

When the Tahmoor underground coal mine was commissioned in 1979 it was owned by Clutha Coal but the first load of coal never left the site until 1982. Long wall mining was introduced underground in 1986. The mine has changed hands several times in its history but it is now 100 percent owned by Xstrata Coal NSW who purchased the mine in 2007. It is operated by Xstrata's fully owned subsidiary Tahmoor Coal Pty Ltd. Around 440 people are employed at the mine including contractors, most of whom live in the nearby town of Tahmoor.

Hard Coking Coal Forms Most of the Tahmoor Mine Production

Coal from the Tahmoor Mine is taken from the Bulli Coal Seam which is most suitable for use as hard coking coal although there is a smaller amount of steaming blend coal produced as well. The hard coking coal is used for steel making and the steaming blend coal for power generation. Both types of coal are exported to Asian and European markets.

Approval to Produce Three Million Tonnes of ROM a Year

The Tahmoor coal processing plant CHPP, can process up to 650 tonnes an hour and while doing so separates it into either the lower quality steaming blend coal, or the high quality coking blend. During this process all rocks are removed along with any other foreign materials by means of the many cyclonic and screening processes. The mine presently has approval to produce up to three million tonnes of run-of-mine (ROM) coal a year.

Life of Mine to Reach 2036

The Tahmoor mining operation holds large areas of land under mining and exploration licences surrounding the mine site. These licences include the Pheasants Nest and Bargo areas. Part of the conditions of holding the leases is that the Tahmoor Mine has to periodically carry out exploration activity in those areas in order to confirm the quality and extent of their coal resources. As a result the Tahmoor South project alone will guarantee coal production at the Tahmoor mine to at least 2036. The mine is currently planning to extending its underground operation south to within the Bargo deposits and east to Pheasants Nest.

Note- GlencoreXstrata was formed following a merger of Glencore International and Xstrata, the merger was completed in May 2013. But a decision was made by the Company's shareholders during the annual general meeting and the announcement was made in May 2014 that Glencore will drop Xstrata and be simply known as Glencore.