The Queensland Government has announced that more land in the coal-rich Bowen Basin will be opened up for exploration in order to fuel the next round of mining jobs.
Tenders are now open for five new areas with high potential for steel-making coal and thermal coal for electricity and industry.
The news was warmly welcomed by Assistant State Development Minister and Member for Mackay, Julieanne Gilbert.
“Exploration is essential to the next generation of resources projects in our region and to our world-class mining engineering and technology sector,” she said.
“This is all about generating jobs and business opportunities for our friends and family – particularly our young people – into the future.”
Queensland Mines Minister, Dr Anthony Lynham, detailed that the coal industry supports 36,000 jobs across the state, and that this is an investment in future projects and jobs.
“Exploration is the lifeblood of the resources sector, and the thousands of jobs and business opportunities it provides, particularly in regional Queensland.”
Dr Lynham said that Queensland’s metallurgical and pulverised coal injection (PCI) coals were essential ingredients in manufacturing steel.
“That’s steel for building homes, and to manufacture the vast structures of wind turbines and components for the burgeoning electric vehicles industry for the renewables sector.”
“The world needs our metallurgical coal as part of the transition to renewables,” he commented.
The five areas, totalling 458km2 (147 sub-blocks), are:
- one 60 km2 area north-east of Moranbah with potential for metallurgical coal.
- three areas of six km2 each east of Blackwater providing opportunities for thermal coal and/or pulverised coal injection (PCI) coal used in steel manufacturing.
- one 380 km2 area south-east of Emerald with potential for thermal coal.
The new blocks are primely located near world-class existing rail and port infrastructure at Hay Point and Gladstone to get the coal from pit to port cheaper and faster.
All bidding companies will be required to offer cash with their bid.
The preferred tenderers must also meet environmental, native title, and other approvals, as well as land access requirements before on-ground exploration can start.
Tenders are now open and close on 10 October 2019.
More information can be found here.