alpha coal project, page-2

Hi there - heres an update on that massive coal project near Alpha Qld
Looks like the project is getting bigger


http://news.ninemsn.com.au/business/817030/waratah-has-plans-for-huge-coal-project





Waratah has plans for huge coal project17:53 AEST Fri May 22 2009


A Queensland mining company says it wants to build Australia's largest coal project, which would generate 6,000 jobs and about $4 billion in annual exports.

If allowed to go ahead the project, in Queensland's Galilee Basin, would produce 40 million tonnes per annum (mta).

Waratah Coal, wholly owned by the private company Mineralogy, is seeking to raise $7.5 billion for the project, which it hopes to begin producing coal in 2013.

Waratah chief executive Peter Lynch said the largest thermal coal operations in Australia currently produce about 16mta to 18mta.

Mr Lynch said he expected approvals for the mine to be completed in 2010 and for work on the project to begin later that year, subject to getting finance.

"We have called it the China First Project and we have been going to China (for funding)," Mr Lynch said.

"I guess what you need to do is watch this space and see what happens," he said.

He said coal from the area was low-sulphur and 95 per cent of the benchmark energy level.

As part of the plans a 490km standard gauge rail line would be built and a stockyard.

Waratah estimates more than 6,000 workers would be needed during construction and a permanent workforce of 1,500 would be required once the mine was operational.

General manager with AME Mineral Economics, Michael Dixon, said the project would be comparable in scale to Indonesia's Kaltim Prima mine.

"It is a very large project. It would be one of the largest thermal coal export mines in the world," Mr Dixon said.

"I would just caution that there is a long way to go before you see long trains full of coal going to the port to be exported," he said.
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http://www.waratahcoal.com/galilee/GCPNEF.php

Maps with this link
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Property and rents will get very expensive IMHO if just one of these projects goes ahead.

Cheers Zed