Moranbah North coal mine

The Moranbah North Coal Mine is a coal mine in the Bowen Basin at Moranbah in Central Queensland, Australia. The mine has coal reserves amounting to 261 million tonnes of coking coal, one of the largest coal reserves in Asia and the world. The mine has an annual production capacity of 8 million tonnes of coal. Most of the coal is exported and used to produce iron and steel in Asia but also to India, Brazil and Europe via the Goonyella railway line to Hay Point.The longwall mining operations at the mine began in 1998. Extraction occurs roughly 200 metres below the surface. Operations are expected to continue till around 2033.The mine is owned by Anglo American Australia and several joint partners. Methane gas extracted from the mine powers the Moranbah North Power Station.HistoryOn April 2007 underground miner Jason Blee was killed after being pinned to a side wall by a shuttle car. The mine successfully trialed an innovative shotcrete concrete chemical mixture in 2012. In 2013, Moranbah North Coal Mine received the Coal Mine of the Year Award at the 10th annual Australian Mining Prospect Awards.