Xstrata Coal / Australia
Ravensworth West
Xstrata Coal: World > Australia
| Detail label | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | New South Wales Australia |
| Products | Coal mining |
| Employees | 119 |
| Annual production capacity | 1.8 million tonnes run of mine coal |
Description of Operation
Ravensworth West is 2km to the west of the Narama Mine. Ravensworth Operations, part of the Xstrata Coal group, owns and operates the Ravensworth West Mine. Ravensworth Operations also operates the Narama mine.
The Ravensworth operations comprise the Ravensworth West Mine, a coal crushing plant, workshop infrastructure, overland coal conveyors and various water management structures and works.
Brief History of the Operation
Coal mining in the Ravensworth area first began in 1972 at the Ravensworth No.2 Open Cut mine to supply coal under contract to Pacific Power (previously known as the Electricity Commission of NSW).
Following completion of this initial contract in 1987, a second contract was awarded to mine the Ravensworth South area, which was mined at the rate of 3.9 million tonnes per annum.
The resource was exhausted in December 2000, rehabilitated the following year and the land handed back to owners Pacific Power. A further coal contract was secured with Pacific Power in 1990 to provide approximately two million tonnes of thermal coal per annum for 20 years from the Narama area. This lease lies immediately to the south of Ravensworth South and utilises infrastructure at the former Ravensworth South site. This contract for supply was transferred to Macquarie Generation following the NSW Government’s deregulation of electricity generators in 1996.
It is anticipated during 2006 that the Ravensworth West Mine will commence production in parallel with the Narama Mine.