This article is 13 years old. Images might not display.
The company secured the Aquila contract in July after Anglo indicated that it would put the Bundoora mine on care and maintenance.
Bounty chairman Gary Cochrane told ILN it was hoping to secure another contract in the next 12 months.
“We’ve still got only the one contract but the cash flow is improving,” he said.
“We are 20 per cent above targets on the development and have established ourselves as a high productivity place-change contractor in thin seams.
“It has been a tough couple of years but things are improving and our production and safety have been of a very high standard.”
Anglo confirmed to ILN that Aquila’s production weekly average for October was 556 development metres.
The last week of October was 711m resulting in 12,600 tonnes produced.
The Anglo spokesperson told ILN the workforce at Aquila – part of the German Creek complex – comprised 20% Anglo American staff, 8% Bounty, 25% Insight and the remainder subcontractors.
“The Bounty personnel are working on the face,” Cochrane said.
“There were zero injuries for the month of October. Bounty has only had two lost time injuries in five years and the last one was in July 2011.”
He added that the seam height averaged 1.7m and Bounty was mining with its own equipment.
The production is from one place change mining unit with a Joy14CM15, a Fletcher roof bolter and two Stamler low height shuttle cars, and a battery scoop for servicing.
“As owner and operator of one of the few thin-seam equipment fleets in Australia, we are a valuable prospective partner and service provider to coal companies wanting to extract remnant high-grade coal seam deposits that are inaccessible with conventional equipment,” Cochrane said.
