June quarter production was up 50% on 2004 efforts, while year-to-date output was up 26%.

During the quarter, Angus Place produced its three millionth tonne, totalling 3,124,827 tonnes for the year and smashing all previous records for the mine following the upgrade of its conveyor infrastructure last year.

Following the acquisition of Austral Coal’s Tahmoor mine in New South Wales in April, Centennial said the mine had returned to profitability a little earlier than anticipated, following equipment problems in the December 2004 quarter (prior to Centennial’s involvement) and subsequent ventilation issues restricting production.

Since its takeover of Tahmoor, Centennial has instigated a change in mine management structure and changed shifts to a three shifts per day eight-hour system. Centennial also surveyed the mine’s troublesome ventilation system and implemented some short-term changes to improve air-flow along the longwall face.

The company said Springvale continued to benefit from the successful widening of its longwall block from 255m to 305m wide earlier in the year. Its next longwall change-over, in the new year, will result in a further step up in productivity when longwall blocks double in length.

Despite a conveyor capacity restriction in late-March after a January 2005 ramp-up, Mandalong production was above expectations as the cutting height increased to 4.8m, making it one of the highest operating faces in NSW.

Clarence and Charbon have both expanded production, targeting the export market as planned, following an equity raising in March 2004. While Clarence has experienced difficult mining conditions and suffered from equipment supply issues as a direct result of the resources boom worldwide, it still performed significantly ahead of last year. The last of the new equipment, a continuous miner and two 18-tonne shuttle-cars, were commissioned during the June quarter.

Newstan continued to experience difficult ground conditions in the early stages of the new southern area, making for higher costs.

Centennial predicted profits of $A36-42 million for the 2005 financial year, in-line with its previous guidance.