It’s a story we’ve been following in @ The Coalface for some time and this month we finally headed out to Dartbrook Coal Mine to meet the team who have successfully restarted the underground operation.
The Dartbrook coal mine, located between Muswellbrook and Aberdeen in the Upper Hunter region, has officially resumed operations, marking a significant milestone for the area. Originally owned and operated by Anglo American, Dartbrook has been in care and maintenance since 2006 due to technical and commercial challenges.
For a decade, Anglo American maintained the site in a state of readiness, preserving its facilities as if operations could restart at any moment.
Dartbrook operates as an underground mine, minimising its mining disturbance footprint. Of the 3,258 hectares of mining tenure, only 168 hectares, or less than 5%, are impacted by operations. The tenure site is largely used for cattle grazing, cropping and pastoral activities, while earth mounds and dense foliage surround the CHPP to reduce noise and improve aesthetics.
In 2016, Australian Pacific Coal acquired the mine and initiated redevelopment. Modification 7 was approved in March 2022, paving the way for the recommencement of mining in the Kayuga and Piercefield coal seams. Tetra Resources was engaged to leverage its underground mining expertise in developing the restart plan.
The Dartbrook Joint Venture was formed by Tetra Resources, which owns 20% and serves as the manager and operator of the mine and Australian Pacific Coal (AQC-ASX), which holds an 80% stake.
Tetra Resources is a privately owned company founded by a group of leading Coal Industry Executives with proven track records and significant historical success in the permitting, financing, developing and operating of coal mines and businesses throughout Australia and Internationally.
A professional management team, under the leadership of General Manager David Sykes, who previously worked at Dartbrook during its Shell Coal and Anglo-American days, was assembled to spearhead the mine’s reopening.
It has been a process, following the approval of MOD7 in 2022 to July 24 when first coal was mined utilising remote-control technologies of the Penetrated Block Extraction (PBE) System.
One of the major hurdles for the commencement of production was the over 70 megalitres of water which had flooded into the Hunter Tunnel. The tunnel was drained, re-supported, shotcreted and equipped with a new conveyor system.
In August 2024, the mine transferred the first coal through the Hunter Tunnel to the Coal Handling Preparation Plant (CHPP). The first train is expected to depart in early December.
While there has been success in the re-start to date, the Dartbrook team recognizes that there are further challenges ahead.
The re-start has been challenging and exciting, bringing a range of skills together from environmental, health and safety to technical, operational, commercial and financial professionals.
There has been great support from the community, government agencies and general business groups throughout the Muswellbrook and Scone Upper Hunter regions. Community engagement will continue to be a primary focus for Dartbrook with a genuine commitment of building trust between all the stakeholders.
David praised the team for overcoming numerous challenges to achieve this milestone.
“The support from the community, government agencies, and business groups in the Upper Hunter has been invaluable. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far and are excited for the future of Dartbrook.”
