Kestrel mine

The KJestrel mine is an underground mine located 40 km north east of Emerald in the Bowen Basin in central Queensland. Rio Tinto, which has a 80 per cent interest in the mine, states on its website that it produces "up to 4.2 million tonnes of coking and thermal coal per annum."

Rio Tinto states that the "The mine is currently constructing the US$1.1 billion Kestrel Mine extension, a project to access the mine's existing resources more efficiently. The extension, due for completion in 2012, will extend the life of the mine by 20 years, and increase mine capacity to up to 5.7 million tonnes per annum."

On its website, Rio Tinto states that as of the end of 2008 the mine employed 375 people.

Rio Tinto states that "In 2008 the mine produced three million tonnes of coking coal and one million tonne of thermal coal. After being washed and prepared for sale, the coal is loaded onto trains for transportation 300km to the Port of Gladstone where it is shipped to international customers. Kestrel Mine had marketable reserves of 131 million tonnes as at 31 December 2008" The mine uses a longwall and continuous miner method.

Joint venture
Rio Tinto Coal Australia manages the operation on behalf of the joint venture partners, Queensland Coal Pty Limited (80 per cent) and Mitsui Kestrel Coal Investment (20 per cent).

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 * Rio Tinto's coal interests