The Dawson coal mine is an open-cut coal mine south-east of Moura in Central Queensland, Australia. The mine includes three mining areas; Dawson North, Dawson Central and Dawson South that share common infrastructure. The Dawson coal mine lies in the Baralaba Coal Measures of the Bowen Basin. [1]
Coking, soft coking and thermal coal have all been produced at the mine. [2] Anglo American has owned the mine since mid-2002. [1] Mining in the area began in 1961 in what was known as the Moura Mine. The mine was the first to export a shipment of Queensland's coking coal to Japan. [2] It was also the first mine to introduce draglines into its operation in 1963. [3]
The coal is exported by Gladstone to the Barney Point and R G Tanna coal terminals. [1] Dawson coal mine has implemented an extensive rehabilitation program. [4]
Central Queensland is an imprecisely-defined geographical division of Queensland that centres on the eastern coast, around the Tropic of Capricorn. Its major regional centre is Rockhampton. The region extends from the Capricorn Coast west to the Central Highlands at Emerald, north to the Mackay Regional Council southern boundary, and south to Gladstone. The region is also known as Capricornia. It is one of Australia's main coal exporting regions.
Moura is a small town and locality in the Shire of Banana in Central Queensland, Australia. It services the surrounding coal mining and rural activities. It is situated approximately 65 kilometres (40 mi) west of Biloela on the Dawson Highway, 186 kilometres (116 mi) west of the port city of Gladstone, and 171 kilometres (106 mi) south west of Rockhampton. As of the 2021 census, the locality of Moura had a population of 1,993 people.
The Bowen Basin contains the largest coal reserves in Australia. This major coal-producing region contains one of the world's largest deposits of bituminous coal. The Basin contains much of the known Permian coal resources in Queensland including virtually all of the known mineable prime coking coal. It was named for the Bowen River, itself named after Queensland's first Governor, Sir George Bowen.
Coal is mined in every state of Australia. The largest black coal resources occur in Queensland and New South Wales. About 70% of coal mined in Australia is exported, mostly to eastern Asia, and of the balance most is used in electricity generation. In 2019-20 Australia exported 390 Mt of coal and was the world's largest exporter of metallurgical coal and second largest exporter of thermal coal.
Goonyella Riverside Mine is a large open cut coking coal mine in the Bowen Basin. It is one of many coal mines in Central Queensland, Australia and is located at Moranbah about 30 km north of the township. The mine produced 12.4 million tonnes of metallurgical coal from July 2012 to June 2013. It is owned by BHP Mitsubishi Alliance. The Goonyella Upper Seam, the Goonyella Middle Seam and the Goonyella Lower Seam are all mined at the site. The coal is well known for its great coking characteristics. Much of the coal was such a high grade, the wash plants were often programmed to add ash to meet the contracted export quality targets.
The Dawson Valley Branch Railway was a railway line in Central Queensland, Australia. It branched from the Central Western railway line at Kabra in the Rockhampton Region and went to Theodore in the Shire of Banana. It opened in a series of sections between 1898 and 1927, and featured a rack railway section, one of only 3 such systems in Australia.
÷Some of the more notable coal companies in Australia are the following:
The Cameby Downs Coal Mine is a coal mine located 16 km south-east of Miles on the Darling Downs in Queensland. The mine has coal reserves amounting to 688 million tonnes of thermal coal, one of the largest coal reserves in Asia and the world. Coal is extracted from the Juandah Formation in the Surat Basin.
The Burton Coal Mine is a coal mine located in the north of Central Queensland. The mine has coal reserves amounting to 164 million tonnes of coking coal, one of the largest coal reserves in Asia and the world. The mine has an annual production capacity of 4.3 million tonnes of coal. Mining operations began 1995.
The Collinsville Coal Mine is a coal mine located in Springlands and Collinsville in the Whitsunday Region, Queensland, Australia. The open-cut mine lies in the northern Bowen Basin. Collinsville produces coking and steaming coal for both domestic use and export. Exports leave the country via Abbot Point.
The Coppabella Coal Mine is an open-cut coal mine located in Strathfield, Isaac Region, Central Queensland, Australia. It lies in the eastern part of the Bowen Basin near the towns of Nebo and Moranbah. The coal is dated to the Late Permian age and are located within the Rangal Coal Measures.
The Curragh Coal Mine is an open-cut, coal mine located 30 km north of Blackwater in Central Queensland, Australia. The mine has coal reserves amounting to 88 million tonnes of coking coal, one of the largest coal reserves in Asia and the world. The mine had an annual production capacity of 7 million tonnes of coal. The mine covers 12,600 ha of the Rangal Coal measures in the Bowen Basin.
The Foxleigh Coal Mine is a coal mine in Mackenzie River, Isaac Region, Queensland, Australia. It is within the Bowen Basin coal reserves of Central Queensland. The mine has coal reserves amounting to 102 million tonnes of coking coal, one of the largest coal reserves in Asia and the world. The mine has an annual production capacity of 3 million tonnes of coal.
The German Creek Coal Mine is an underground coal mine 25 kilometres south west of Middlemount in Central Queensland, Australia. The mine has coal reserves amounting to 248 million tonnes of coking coal, one of the largest coal reserves in Asia and the world. The mine has an annual production capacity of 6 million tonnes of coal.
The Kestrel Coal Mine is an underground coal mine located in the Bowen Basin at Crinum, 51 km northeast of Emerald in Central Queensland, Australia. The mine has coal reserves amounting to 158 million tonnes of coking coal, one of the largest coal reserves in Asia and the world. The mine has an annual production capacity of 4 million tonnes of coal. Both hard/semi hard coking coal and thermal coal is mined.
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 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 Saraji Coal Mine is a coal mine located near Dysart in the Central Queensland region of Australia. The mine has coal reserves amounting to 648 million tonnes of coking coal, one of the largest coal reserves in Asia and the world. The mine has an annual production capacity of 10 million tonnes of coal. It is located in the Bowen Basin, an area with significant coal deposits and numerous mines. It is owned by the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA).
The Moura railway line is a railway in central Queensland, connecting several coal mines to the port of Gladstone. It connects the remnants of several lines that previously connected to Rockhampton, originally by a rack railway.
The Bowen Basin Coalfields contains the largest coal reserves in Australia. This major coal-producing region contains one of the world's largest deposits of bituminous coal. The Basin contains much of the known Permian coal resources in Queensland including virtually all of the known mineable prime coking coal. It was named for the Bowen River, itself named after Queensland's first Governor, Sir George Bowen.
