According to data released by the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines, year to date output has also climbed and totals 130.243Mt for the nine months to September, compared with 126.391Mt a year ago.
During September underground mines contributed 1.896Mt of the total with opencut mines producing the bulk of the tonnage.
Of September exports amounting to 11.8Mt, coking coal accounted for 71% of the total. Some 3.4Mt of exported coal was destined for thermal use.
Just over 4Mt of coal was shipped through Dalrymple Bay, 3.4Mt through Gladstone, 2.7Mt through Hay Point and 1.4Mt through Abbot Point.
Employment numbers have continued to climb with 16,413 people employed in Queensland’s coal mining industry in September, up 8.5% compared with a year ago. Underground operations employed 3,231 people.
Japan was Queensland’s leading export destination, taking 4.2Mt of coal during the month. Some 1.6Mt was exported to Korea and 1.4Mt to India.
