The extension will increase Broadmeadow’s productive capacity by 0.4 million tonnes per annum of metallurgical coal to 4.8Mtpa and prolong its mine life by 21 years.
The Queensland project is on schedule and on budget and is 32% complete, BHP Billiton revealed.
“The progression of these projects into execution forms a meaningful component of the company’s anticipated organic growth program that is expected to exceed $US80 billion over the five years to the end of the 2015 financial year,” the company said.
“Importantly, three major projects delivered first production in the twelve month period.”
In April Leighton Contractors won a $A148 million contract from BMA and engineering giant Bechtel to extend the existing open cut near the Broadmeadow longwall mine, allowing access for planned underground works.
As part of the Broadmeadow sustaining operations project, the Leighton Holdings subsidiary will undertake 8 million cubic metres of earthworks and 12,000cu.m of concrete works.
The project also covers the construction of associated infrastructure, such as access roads, dams and drainage, conveyor footings and gates.
The mine is adjacent to BMA's Goonyella open cut mine and is a punch longwall mining operation.
One of the projects to be completed in 2011 is the Hunter Valley Energy Coal MAC20 project.
Other projects being developed are the Daunia mine development in Queensland, the Hay Point Stage Three expansion, and the Hunter Valley Energy Coal RX1 project.
Daunia is a $US1.6 billion Queensland greenfield mine development with capacity to produce 4.5Mtpa of export metallurgical coal and is on schedule and on budget to be complete by 2013.
The $US400 million RXI project, which is 26% complete, will increase run-of-mine thermal coal production by approximately 4Mtpa.