Coal production in longwall panel LW05 was completed in mid-May and the longwall changeout completed in June. Longwall production in LW06 had commenced before the end of the June.

Following the record month in April and a complete longwall changeout in the June quarter, ROM coal production was 1.370Mt for the quarter, according to the company’s latest results.

Full year ROM coal production was 6.888Mt in a year which included two full longwall changeouts.

The run rate for the year excluding the changeouts was significantly over 8.5Mt.

Only a single longwall changeout is scheduled for FY2017.

The current longwall panel, LW06 will be the final 300m wide panel at the mine.

Production from the first 400m wide panel (LW07) is expected to commence in the second half of FY2017.

Saleable coal production for the June quarter was 1.402Mt, compared to 2.346Mt in the previous corresponding quarter because that quarter did not contain a longwall changeout, according to Whitehaven.

Saleable coal production for the full year was 7.269Mt, slightly higher than the previous year.

Saleable production was higher than ROM coal production as ROM coal stocks were processed during the year.