Glennies Creek Coal Management submitted the plan for approval to the NSW Department of Primary Industries on January 5 and expects a decision within six months.

The plan covers longwall panels 10-17 extracting from the Middle Liddell seam.

A mine spokesperson told International Longwall News that the panels run beneath farmland, fences and disused farm buildings; power lines and water pipelines; and Xstrata’s Mount Owen satellite pit, Ravensworth East tailings pit and some of the opencut operations.

The plan, currently on public display, explains what management processes Glennies Creek will put in place to deal with the surface structures.

Mine management expects a maximum of 1.6 metres vertical subsidence.

The operation will begin extracting coal from longwall 10 in August 2008 and expects to finish panel 17 during November 2012.

Glennies Creek, located 12km north of Singleton, is 85% owned by American Metals and Coal International with major steel producers each holding 5% of the rest.

The underground operation produced 2.34Mt from July 2005 to June 2006.