Dendrobium mine

The Dendrobium mine is an underground coal mine owned and operated by Illawarra Coal, a subsidiary of BHP Billiton.

In its 2009 annual report, BHP Billiton reported that the West Cliff mine opened in 2005. The company did not report what the actual production was from the mine (providing only an aggregate figure for the three Illawarra Coal mines) but states that the measured resource for the mine is 89 million tonnes with a total resource of 310 million tonnes. Illawarra Coal's 2008 Sustainability report lists production at the mine as being 3.483 million tonnes.

BHP Billiton states that Dendrobium "is approved to produce up to 5.2 million tonnes of coking coal per annum with an expected mine life in excess of 20 years." The Bluescope Steel Port Kembla Steelworks and the Whyalla Steelworks "are the major customers. In addition to these Australian based customers; coal is exported via the Port Kembla Coal Terminal to international customers."

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