Hunter Valley Operations

Overview

Hunter Valley Operations (HVO), located 24 km north west of Singleton in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia, supplly international markets with up to 12 million tonnes of thermal and semi-soft coking coal per annum.

Production commenced at HVO in 1968 at the current West Pit, which was then part of the Howick mine. The Hunter Valley No. 1 mine began production in 1979. In 2000 Coal & Allied merged the Howick and Hunter Valley mines to create Hunter Valley Operations. The Lemington mine, which began production in 1971, was acquired and merged into Hunter Valley Operations in 2001.

Hunter Valley Operations is 100 per cent owned by Coal & Allied Industries Limited

Location

Hunter Valley Operations (HVO), located 24 km north west of Singleton in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia.

New South Wales is an eastern Australian state located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Sydney is the state's capital and is Australia's
most populous city (4.6 mill. in 2010).

Coal is the state's largest export product.

Geology & Mineralization

HVO mining operations are centred in the Wittingham Coal Measures of the Hunter Coalfield, which is part of a Permian coal basin known as the Sydney basin. 

The Hunter coalfield is the largest coal-producing region in NSW, currently concentrated around the Singleton and Muswellbrook districts. It produces the bulk of thermal coal for NSW’s electricity generation needs as well as for export markets.  The Hunter coal seams are mostly at shallow depths of less than 300 metres, enabling cost effective multi-seam, open cut mining operations

Mining & Operation

Hunter Valley Operations is a multi-pit open cut mine, using a dragline truck and shovel method. The mine's 1,073 employees (as at 31 December 2011) work in shifts to keep the mine operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Operations are centred in the Wittingham Coal Measures of the Hunter Coalfield, which is part of a Permian coal basin known as the Sydney basin.

In 2011, the mine produced over 10.0 Mt thermal coal and 1.9 Mt semi-soft coking coal.

HVO had marketable reserves of 227 million tonnes as at 31 December 2011.

Processing

At HVO, two preparation plants are operated to produce a range of products. The preparation plants clean the coal using density separation techniques to remove waste. Clean product coal is transferred by conveyor belt or road transport to the rail load points.

After being washed and prepared for sale, the coal is loaded onto trains for transportation 90km to the Port Warratah coal terminal in Newcastle where it is shipped to international customers.

Environment & Community

Hunter Valley Operations seeks to be more than just a major source of local employment and economic growth, rather to work in partnership with the local community. Through its community relations programme, Coal & Allied is working to help provide positive long term outcomes for the Hunter Valley region.

The Hunter Valley Operations Community Consultative Committee meets regularly to provide a forum for open discussion between the community, the council and Coal & Allied representatives. The committee discusses issues directly relating to the mining operation and environmental performance, keeping the community informed on these matters and potential impacts.    

Recent examples of our consultation and involvement in the community include:

• Coal & Allied Community Development Fund
• Coal & Allied Aboriginal Development Consultative Committee
• Hunter Valley Operations Community Consultative Committee meetings
• Site sponsorship and donations committee   
• Newsletters and publications