About BMA
Operations
BMA owns and operates seven Bowen Basin mines – Goonyella Riverside, Broadmeadow, Peak Downs, Saraji, Norwich Park, Gregory Crinum, and Blackwater – and the Hay Point terminal near Mackay. We also manage the South Walker Creek and Poitrel mines, owned by BHP Billiton (80 per cent) and Mitsui and Co. (20 per cent).
The mines are located in the coal-rich Bowen Basin of Central Queensland, which covers an area of 75,000km² of Permian Age marine and freshwater sediments. The basin is roughly triangular in shape, extending around 550km from its northern peak at Collinsville, southwards to its base at Theodore, where it is approximately 250 km wide.
With the exception of the Crinum and Broadmeadow underground longwall operations, our mines are open-cut, using dragline and truck/shovel fleets for overburden removal. Coal seams are mined by front end loader and hydraulic excavators, and coal is transported to mine preparation plants by large capacity haul trucks.
Blackwater
Blackwater is one of the largest open-cut coal mines in Australia, producing almost 14 million tonnes of coking and thermal coal a year. The mine is located 24km south of the town of Blackwater and 315km west of the port of Gladstone.
Broadmeadow
Broadmeadow Mine, BMA’s newest punch longwall underground operation on the Goonyella Riverside lease, commenced longwall mining in August 2005.
Broadmeadow Mine is located 30km north of Moranbah and 190km south west of Mackay and has the capacity to produce over three million tonnes of high quality coking coal a year.
Goonyella Riverside
Goonyella Riverside produces over 14 million tonnes of coking coal a year. The mine is located 30km north of Moranbah and 190km south west of the Hay Point port facilities. It is the northernmost of the mines operated by BMA in the Bowen Basin.
Gregory Crinum
Gregory Crinum is located 60km north east of the rural centre of Emerald and 375km north west of Gladstone and comprises the Gregory open-cut operations and Crinum underground mine.
Gregory open-cut coal mine became operational in 1979, with the first shipment taking place in 1980. Production has been scaled back since the commissioning of the adjacent Crinum underground longwall mine in 1997.
Norwich Park Mine
Norwich Park Mine is located 24km south east of Dysart and 266km south west of Mackay.
Norwich Park open-cut coal mine began production in 1979 and has a production capacity of 5.5 million tonnes of coking coal and ultra low volatile coal a year.
Peak Downs Mine
Peak Downs Mine is located 30km south of the town of Moranbah and 195km south west of the Hay Point port facilities.
Peak Downs is a large, open-cut mining operation, which was developed in the early 1970s. The first coal was mined in April 1972. Today, Peak Downs has a production capacity of nine million tonnes of coking coal per annum.
Saraji Mine
Saraji Mine is located 24km south of Peak Downs mine and 213km south west of the Hay Point coal export terminal.
Construction of the Saraji open-cut coking coal mine began in late 1972 and production began in the latter part of 1974. Saraji has a current production capacity of eight million tonnes of high grade coking coal a year.
South Walker Creek Mine
South Walker Creek Mine is located on the eastern flank of the Bowen Basin, 35km west of the town of Nebo and 132 km south west of the Hay Point port facilities.
South Walker Creek is a contract mining operation owned by BHP Mitsui Coal. Annual production capacity is 3.2 million tonnes of marketable coal, which is suitable for Pulverised Coal Injection (PCI).
Poitrel Mine
Poitrel Mine is situated south-east of the town of Moranbah, and began open-cut operations in October 2006. It is the most recent mine to be opened for the BHP Mitsui Coal owners, and at full production will have an annual capacity of three million tonnes of coal a year.
Hay Point Coal Terminal
Hay Point Coal Terminal, located 38km south of Mackay, is one of Australia's largest and most efficient coal receival and export facilities.
Following a recent expansion program, the terminal has the capacity to handle and despatch around 43-45 million tonnes of coal a year.
Products
The mines managed by the BMA have a capacity to produce 58 million tonnes of coal annually, which are currently sold to over 93 customers in 23 countries, including Japan, the UK, Europe, South America, Korea, Taiwan and India.
The suite of coals offered by BMA covers a range of products ranking from high quality hard coking coals through to high energy thermal coals. The Bowen Basin mines currently produce 14 basic coal products which can be further blended to meet customer requirements.
A modern all-electric rail system and world class deepwater ports located at Hay Point and Gladstone service the BMA mines.
Contact Us
BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance
Riparian Plaza
71 Eagle Street
GPO Box 1389
Brisbane, Queensland 4001
Phone: (61 7) 3226 0600
Fax: (61 7) 3229 2575
