Carborough Downs

Overview

Carborough Downs is located in Central Bowen Basin in central Queensland, Australia, 15km east of the township of Moranbah and 180km southwest of the coastal city of Mackay.

Carborough Downs started operating in 2008. Its mining leases overlie the Rangal Coal Measures of the Bowen Basin with the economic seams of Leichardt and Vermont. Both seams have coking properties and can be beneficiated to produce coking and pulverized coal injection (PCI) products.

Carborough Downs coal is processed at Carborough Downs CHPP, which capable of processing 1kt/h, and which operates seven days per week. The product is loaded onto trains at a rail loadout facility and transported 160km to the DBCT port.

In 2011 the mine produced 1.39 million tonnes metallurgical coal. It has an approved production rate of 1.9 million tph which is to be increaased to 5 mtpa.

Location

Carborough Downs is located in the Central Bowen Basin in central Queensland, approximately 15 kilometers east of the township of Moranbah and approximately 180 kilometers southwest of the coastal city of Mackay.

Queensland - the 'sunshine state' -  is Australia's second-largest and third most populous state, located in the northeast of the country.
To the east the state is bordered by the Coral Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

Coal mining is a major contributor to the state's economy. The state also has significant coal seam gas, natural gas and bauxite deposits.

Agriculture and tourism are the other staples of the Queensland economy.

Geology and Mineralization

Carborough Downs mining leases overlie the Rangal Coal Measures of the Bowen Basin with the economic seams of Leichardt and Vermont. Both seams have coking properties and can be beneficiated to produce coking and pulverized coal injection (PCI) products.

The Leigchart seam is current main target  for development and consistutite 100% of the current reserve and resoruce base.

Mining & Operation

Underground mining employs the longwall mining method. The ROM coal is delivered to surface by conveyors. It is then stockpiled before being trucked to the Coal Procesing and Handling Facility.

Production from Carborough Downs is transported along the Goonyella logistics corridor. It links the mines of the Central Queensland Bowen Basin to the Dalrymple Bay maritime terminal. 

Processing

Carborough Downs coal is processed at Carborough Downs CHPP, which capable of processing 1ktph, and which operates seven days per week. The coal is washed and then transferred to the railroad loading facility.

The product is loaded onto trains at a rail loadout facility and transported 160km to the Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal (DBCT) port for shipping to international customers.

Coarse and rejects are being disposed in the adjacent open cuts that belonged to the past producing Broadlea mine.

Environment & Community

The chosen method of mining generates about 2.5 m of subsidence at the surface.