In the 12 months ending June 2008 the company’s production hit 2.05 million tonnes, a 47% jump from the previous year.

Coal sales climbed in the quarter – up 793,000t from the same period last year.

Whitehaven said port and rail constraints continued to adversely affect coal sales, but the financial impact was offset by increasing coal prices.

The pace of its Narrabri project has picked up but was affected by approval delays with the date for producing its first coal revised to the first quarter of the 2010 financial year.

The coal miner’s JORC-compliant coal resources increased by 77.6Mt to 712.9Mt in the quarter.

The Whitehaven mining precinct in the Gunnedah region of New South Wales, which includes the Canyon, Tarrawonga and Rocglen mines and a coal handling and preparation plant, was a mixed bag for the miner last quarter.

Tarrawonga increased production by 80% while Canyon fell by 33%, which it put down to a higher strip ratio as the mine comes to the end of its life.

Whitehaven’s Werris Creek project improved its performance thanks to a new mine plan. It also increased its coal resources from 26Mt to 38Mt.

The increase in resources and reserves allows Whitehaven to extend the life of Werris Creek up to 13 years at a production rate of 1.5Mt a year.

During the quarter Whitehaven got the green light from the New South Wales Government for its $35 million Rocglen project, 28km north of Gunnedah, with the first coal production planned by the end of this year.

Whitehaven has also agreed to buy the remaining 33.3% interest in Republic Coal’s Bonshaw project in northern NSW for $A2.87 million, which will see Whitehaven take 100% ownership of the project.