These are the first indicated resource tonnes for the project with 280Mt remaining as inferred resources.

The new indicated tonnes came from the project’s average 2m thick Castor seam and average 3m thick Pollux seam, with these seems also considered the shallowest in the northwest region of the project’s permit EPC1186.

“Raw ash results within the Indicated Resource are favourably low, averaging 25.5% for the Castor and 14.1% for the Pollux,” Stanmore said.

“The Belview resource has been assessed as an underground deposit with a minimum seam thickness cut-off of 1.5 metres.”

Quality analysis so far has confirmed the targeted seams offered strong coking properties plus could also yield a marketable pulverised coal injection-grade metallurgical coal as a secondary product.

Yesterday the company said a pre-feasibility study was about to start.

A concept mining study during the more coal market-friendly times of 2013 outlined the potential for a single longwall operation targeting 3.5 million tonnes per annum run of mine plus the option for a second longwall operation to expand the site’s output to 7Mtpa ROM.

The Bowen Basin project is on the Blackwater railway line.