Total exports for the 2002 year increased to 125.3Mt, up 5.12%, setting a new record for export tonnage for a twelve month period. Of the state’s saleable coal, roughly 79% is produced by open-cut mining while underground mining accounts for the remaining 21%.

Reporting on the latest statistics, Queensland’s Department of Natural Resources and Mines, said exports to Japan increased by 1.43%, while exports to other Asian countries increased by 20.46%.

Coking coal exports decreased by 0.30% but continued increased demand for thermal coal allowed Queensland producers to capture additional tonnages amounting to 41.052Mt, an increase of 18.33%.

Some 42.2Mt of coal was exported via Dalrymple Bay, 37.7Mt via Gladstone, 29.6 via Hay Point and 12.5Mt via Abbot Point.

The December 2002 quarter was marked by increases in saleable coal production, export sales, domestic sales and productivity compared with the previous December period. Saleable coal produced during the December quarter totalled 38.827Mt, an increase of 16.54% compared to 2001 December quarter.

Employment in Queensland’s coal industry and mostly in the opencut sector has increased since December 2001. As at December 31, 2002 the industry employed 10 278 people, compared to 8 930 a year earlier, up 15.10%.

Productivity also increased by 8.16% in the December quarter to 56.19 tonnes per shift in the December 2002 quarter. Productivity for the 2002 calendar year was 14 380 tonnes per person, an 11.05% decrease.

Around 5% more coal was sold within Queensland last calendar year for a total of 23.6Mt. Electricity generation consumed 21Mt during this period, up 5.06%.