International Coal emerged from an early week trading halt to announce the JORC resource on Wednesday, which was derived following the completion of a stage 1 drilling program, completed by the company’s technical advisors, Moultrie Database.

The inferred resource was yielded from results achieved from drilling in the Winton formation.

The stage 1 program at EPC2197 focused on drilling to a depth of 220m.

To date, ICX has drilled less than 15% of the South Blackall tenement.

Average cumulative seams of 13.93m were derived, exceeding Moultrie’s prediction of seams reaching 10m.

ICX said it would look to develop this section of the tenement to confirm seam continuity, thickness and depth.

It is in the midst of developing another substantial drilling program which is tipped to begin within months and is planned to further upgrade the project’s inferred resource.

The company said it had initiated an independent review for potential infrastructure opportunities connecting to South Blackall.

In addition, ICX said it was progressing discussions with Australia and overseas-based parties regarding the opportunity for future rail lines being extended to South Blackall and surrounding areas.

Via the South Blackall tenement, ICX is well placed to be a leading developer of coal resources within the coal rich area of Eromanga Basin, which is only 200km away from the upcoming Galilee Basin.

East Energy Resources and NSL Consolidated are among the other coal exploration companies with interests in the prospective basin.