NEWLANDS Northern has blown its fellow Australian longwall mines out of the water, producing a massive 8.7 million tonnes of run-of-mine coal in 2009.

Newlands, reproduced by kind permission of Xstrata.

The star performer produced 8.318Mt from its longwall and 384,300 development tonnes. The annual tonnage is a big jump from 2008’s highest – Beltana with 6.4Mt – and harks back to Beltana’s hey day of 7Mt-plus output.

The performance of Newlands Northern overshadowed a stellar performance from a fellow Xstrata mine – Oaky North. The Queensland mine also broke the 8Mtpa barrier with 8.12Mt.

Third place was taken by another Xstrata mine, Beltana/Blakefield South. While Beltana is in its twilight years and Blakefield South about to take over, the combination of longwall tonnages from Beltana and development tonnages from Blakefield led to an impressive 5.22Mt.

A Centennial operation was the next best performer with the Mandalong mine racking up 5.06Mt. Mandalong has had a great year and is looking ahead to a bright future with completion of the export infrastructure which will allow the mine to achieve export sales for the year.

Back to Queensland, BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance longwall Crinum East posted annual production of 4.7Mt, just down from its 2008 total of 5.11Mt.

Rio Tinto’s sole longwall, Kestrel, registered 4.35Mt to take sixth place on the table.

Kestrel is pushing ahead with its expansion with two drifts, a ventilation shaft and earthworks well underway. The extension team is concentrating on construction of an overland conveyor and preparation plant upgrade to get the expansion ready for first coal shipment in 2012.

In New South Wales, Xstrata’s Ulan mine posted production of 4.28Mt, significantly down on its 2008 total of 6.3Mt but above 2007 figures.

BMA’s Broadmeadow mine was next with 3.97Mt, followed by Anglo Coal’s Grasstree operation with 3.89Mt.

Rounding out the top 10 was Centennial’s Angus Place mine with 3.69Mt.

New kids on the block Carborough Downs produced 1.02Mt after beginning longwall production in September and NRE Wongawilli produced 387,300t after beginning production in August.

Queensland’s mines produced 44.04 million tonnes and New South Wales mines produced 54.34Mt.

The total for all longwall mines in 2009 was 98.38Mt.

Click here to read the rest of today's news stories.