Green Range Coal Project

The Green Range Coal Project is a notional coal project in south-west western Australia which has been touted by Australia Minerals and Mining Group (AMMG), a Western Australian minerals exploration company. AMMG applied for exploration titles over the Green Range project after its enthusiasm for its wholly-owned subsidiary Canning Coal's coal exploration project in the Kimberley faded.

Background
In its August 2012 announcement about the project AMMG stated that it had been granted one coal exploration licence and had applied for a further two. All up the three areas covered 1,123 square kilometres. In its media release AMMG stated that "CRA estimated an exploration target of 500Mt of lignite" and that "AMMG is now estimating an exploration target* of 400-500 million tonnes of thermal coal grade." The company claimed that "historical diamond drill core analysis confirms sub-bituminous or thermal coal grade (up to 24Mj/kg or 5732 kcal/kg)" (emphasis added). AMMG also pointed to the proposal for the Port of Albany to be upgraded to "handle ‘cape-sized’ vessels."

They also wrote that the exploration titles were on freehold land and that as a result Native Title had been "extinguished" and that "lower environmental concerns" were "expected".

In its September 2012 quarterly activities report AMMG stated that "the project was a successful applicant in the WA state government’s Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) co-funded drilling program. Drilling is scheduled to commence in 2013."

In one corporate presentation, AMMG touts the proximity of the Green Range Project to Grange Resources Southdown Magnetite Project as offering a possible market in a "potential thermal coal power station". However, on their website Grange Resources clearly state that the 180 megawatts for their project would be supplied by Western Power by constructing a 280 kilometre long transmission line from Muja near the Collie coalfields and associated power stations.

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Australia and coal
 * Australian Coal Association
 * Queensland and coal
 * Western Australia and coal