Xstrata Coal’s Beltana mine started longwall mining production in June 2003 and managed to produce 5.79 million tonnes ROM in its first full year of operating, according to the latest Coal Services’ statistical review.

The mine’s productivity is well above virtually any other underground operation, at 45,000 ROM tonnes per man, and easily comparable to high-performing open-cuts.

Total output from the longwall sector for the 12-month period ended June 2004 amounted to 73.3 million tonnes of raw coal, down 3% on the previous year’s output, with numbers of operating mines also declining. (See related Table, link on left). As of 1 June there are 25 operating longwall mines in Australia with two BHP Billiton mines on schedule to kick off in a year’s time.

The next best performers for the year were all Queensland mines. Closely following Beltana in second place is the Xstrata Coal’s Newlands operation, up 39% with 5.779Mt ROM; BHP Billiton Mitsubishi alliance (BMA) mine Crinum up 40% to deliver 5.043Mt; and Pacific Coal’s Kestrel down 21% with 4.336Mt.

Anglo Coal’s Dartbrook mine in NSW continued its revival with a 34% improvement on last year with an output of 3.879Mt.

Top rated Queensland mines, Moranbah North (Anglo Coal) and Oaky North (Xstrata Coal) struggled this year with outputs totalling 2.128Mt, down 56% and 2.9Mt, down 45%, respectively. Oaky North has undergone a major face equipment re-engineering to overcome strata and other problems related to the new thin seam domain.

Full details to be published in Australia's Longwalls, due out September 17.