|
|
 |
Premier runs a modern open cut mine employing
three large P&H electric shovels and fourteen 240-tonne
haul trucks. The Mine produces coal in two distinct pits,
1 and 4, from the Premier and Muja Coal Measures. Moving 20-25
million bank cubic metres of overburden per year, and producing
around 65,000 tonnes of coal per week, the operation employs
nearly 280 people.
The Premier Mine is one of 37 mines that have operated in
the Collie Basin since coal was discovered in 1883. The coal
is of Permian age and occurs in seams of up to 12m thick but
is generally mined in thicknesses of 2-4 metres.
The Mine is supported by sophisticated geological models
and mine planning systems that combine to produce detailed,
optimised schedules to ensure customer expectations of quality
and quantity are consistently met in a timely manner
|
Coal is mined using Hitachi 2500 excavators and 240-tonne trucks.
On delivery to the coal plant, the coal is passed through a simple
crushing and screening plant prior to stockpiling using a Malco
Stacker – Reclaimer system. Coal is delivered to local power
station customers by conveyor and to distant customers by rail or
truck.
Key to the operations is a modern maintenance workshop and a mobile
maintenance function for in-pit shovel and breakdown maintenance.
The whole operation is state-of-the-art with many functions, from
fleet dispatch to dozer grade control, reliant upon an extensive
computer systems.
Safety in the workplace is a fundamental driver at Premier Coal
with a reduction in Lost Time Injury Frequency (LTIFR) from 150
to zero in the last ten years.
|
