DEVELOPMENT OF THE WEST CLIFF
EXTENDED PROJECT
By
K. TALBOTI
ABSTRACT
In the Illawarra District of New
South Wales, Mines were traditionally
developed from the seabord. The
advantages were close access to the
working faces and a minimal depth of
cover.
Travelling times to the working
faces have become prohibitive in many
cases due to progressive westward
development of the mines.
As a result, additional vent-
ilation shafts were sunk to service
existing mines and new mines were
established west of the Illawarra
escarpment. Mining operations west
of the escarpment are now being
conducted at an increasing depth of
cover and can be effected by gas
related problems such as high seam
gas emission rates and gas outbursts.
Special gas drainage procedures
can be required and may increase the
development time of a new mine.
INTRODUCTION
Kembla Coal and Coke is a wholly
owned subsidiary of C.R.A. and is
responsible for C.R.A. 's coal
activities within New South Wales.
Kembla Coal and Coke comprises:-
The Coal Cliff Collieries Pty.
Limited,
Vale Engineering Pty. Limited,
1. Product Manager, Kembla Coal & Coke P / L.
The Aus.I.M.M. Sydney Branch, Project Development Symposium, November 1983
95
Illawarra Coal and Coke,
Kembla Computer Services, and
K.C.C. Exploration.
Kembla Coal and Coke's principal
operations are situated in the
Illawarra district 60 km. south of
Sydney (See Fig. 1). The Company is
currently operating three underground
hard coking coal mines and is
developing a fourth mine to be known
as West Cliff Extended.
Coal Cliff Mine is the oldest
and has been operating for 105 years.
In 1971 as development progressed
westward the workings were divided
into two separate mine holdings
being Coal Cliff and Darkes Forest.
Coal Cliff Mine surface still provides
a service function for both mines by
processing coal won and providing
access for materials and equipment.
Product coal is railed to Port Kembla
via the III warra railway line.
Coal Cliff and Darkes Forest Mines
produce up to 2 million tonnes per
annum of run-of-mine coal.
West Cliff Mine is located in the
western sector of the Company's
Illawarra leases and commenced
production in 1976. The coal mined is
processed on site and transported to
Port Kembla by road. The mine is
designed to produce up to 2.5 million
tonnes per annum of run-of-mine coal.
96 K.TALBOT

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PACIFIC

OCEAN

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LEGEND
MIiTAGONG

11 Coal Mining leases

Held by the
Company

THE COAL CLIFF COlLERIES PTY LIMITED Scale ,. 500 000

LOCALITY PLAN o 20

._------- FIGURE

The Aus.I.M.M. Sydney Branch, Project Development Symposium, November 1983

 K.TALBOT 97

The mine has not achieved planned 1980 Darkes Forest Mine, 3rd
production levels due to market Prize, Wollongong
constraints. Gardening Competition
West Cliff Extended Mine is being (Industrial Section)
developed to extract coal reserves
1981 Darkes Forest Mine, 2nd
located in the eastern sector of the
Prize, Wollongong
current West Cliff Mine Holding. The
Gardening Competition
proposed mine would also share a
(Industrial Section)
common boundary with Darkes Forest
Mine Holding. West Cliff Extended 1982 Darkes Forest Mine, 1st
Mine will provide replacement capacity Prize, Wollongong
for Coal Cliff Mine and ultimately Gardening Competition
additional capacity to meet long (Industrial Section)
term market demand.
GEOLOGY
The new mine is being developed
The proposed West Cliff Extended
in two stages. Development works on
Lease contains about 51 million tonnes
Stage I commenced in January 1982
in situ of high grade coking coal
and consist of the sinking of two
from the Bulli Seam. A total of 14
shafts to the Bulli Seam, associated
boreholes were sunk to prove the
seam development and gas drainage
reserves. The geological programme
works. Stage 11 consists of the
was also assisted by various seismic,
upgrading of the project into a
resistivity and magnetometer surveys.
separate operating mine capable of
The premium coal seam in the
producing up to 2 million tonnes per
Illawarra measures is the Bulli Seam
annum of run-of-mine coal.
which is the uppermost seam. Depth
Kembla Coal and Coke is justifi-
of the Bulli Seam is about 460m.
ably proud of the environmental record
The reserves are suitable for
achieved at its mines. For its high
continuous miner and longwall
environmental standards, the Company
operations and will support efficient
has been awarded various environmental
productivity levels. The pit bottom
prizes:-
area is being developed under
1977 West Cliff Mine Pollution
competent sandstone roof.
Control Abatement Award,
All projected geological faulting
2nd Prize, awarded by the
is oriented in a north-west south-east
Minister for Planning and
direction. The throw of the faults
Environment
range from 60m in the Stokes and
1979 Darkes Forest Mine, 4th Scarborough Faults down to 5m. The
Prize, Wollongong Gardening Stokes Fault and Scarborough Fault
Comp~tition (Industrial will provide natural lease boundaries
Section) to the west and the north respectively.

The Aus.I.M.M. Sydney Branch, Project Development Symposium, November 1983

98
Seam thickness averages about
2 metres and varies from about 1.7m
adjacent to the southern boundary and
up to 2.3m in the north. The seam
dips at 1 in 25 in a north-westerly
direction.
The roof lithology varies between
sandstone and shale. About one third
of the area has an immediate roof of
sandstone. The remaining roof mainly
comprises a thin veneer of shale under
a massive sandstone.
Gas contents measured from coal
cores indicate about 10 to 12 cubi~
metres per tonne which is marginally
less gassy than West Cliff Mine.
dominant gas in the north is carbon
dioxide and the south contains high
methane concentrations.
STAGE I
STATUTORY APPROVALS
Stage I development is contained
within the O'Hare's Creek Catchment
Area. The catchment area is
currently owned by the Land Board
Office and administered by the
Metropolitan Water Sewerage and
Drainage Board. It is proposed to'
convert ownership and control of the
catchment area to a State Recreation
Area under the control of the National
Parks and Wildlife Service.
Negotiation for Stage I Develop-
ment Consent proved a long lead time
activity (See Fig. 2). Negotiations
commenced in June, 1980 with the
Department of Environment and Planning
and the Department of Mineral Resources.
The Stage I Environmental Impact
Statement was displayed publically
from 15th November to 14th December,
1980. It comprised a description of
the Stage I proposal and at the request
The Aus.I.M.M. Sydney Branch, Project Development Symposium, November 1983
K.TALBOT
of the Department of Environment and
Planning a summary of the long term
options.
A public enquiry was convened on
10th August, 1981 according to the
provisions of the Environmental
Planning and Assessment Act, 1979.
The Commissioner of the enquiry
recommended development consent be
granted subject to a number o~
environmental related conditions.
Development Consent was granted on
1st October, 1981 by the Minister
for Planning and Environment.
Mining Purposes Leases were
The granted by the Minister for Mineral
Resources and ultimately the Governor
on 15th January, 1982.
SHAFT SINKING
Stage I works commenced on
18th January, 1982. The successful
contractor for the sinking of the
two shafts was Allied Constructions
Pty. Limited.
The" diameter of the two shafts
is 7.5 metres (No. 3 shaft) and
6.1 metres (No. 4 shaft). Following
establishment of sinking headframes
and winders and construction of the
shaft collars, conventional shaft
sinking commenced on 25th April (No.
3 shaft) and on 25th June (No. 4
shaft).
A 6 km. transmission line was
constructed from West Cliff Mine to
provide electrical power for shaft
sinking.
The shafts reached the Bulli
Seam in March, 1983 and achieved
outstanding average shaft sinking
rates of almost 14 metres per week
(See Fig. 3). The decision to carry
out shaft sinking on a two shift per
 K.TALBOT 99

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WEST CLIFF EXTENDED APPROVAL HISTORY

FIG.2

The Aus.I.M.M. Sydney Branch, Project Development Symposium, November 1983

100 K.TALBOT

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The Aus.LM_M. Sydney Branch, Project Development Symposium, November 1983 Fig.3
 K.TALBOT
day basis was justified with
performances surpassing those achieved
on West Cliff Mine's No. 2 shaft:
No. 2 shaft was sunk in 1976 with an
average shaft sinking rate of 12.8ml
week on a three shift per day basis.
The shaft sinking method employed
at Nos. 3 and 4 shafts comprised
blasting using electric delay
detonators and AN gelignite 60,
mucking using dual cryderman grabs
and lining of the shaft walls using a
suspended form arrangement.
The survey tolerance on each
shaft was !25mm on the radius of the
shaft. The contractor achieved
contractual surveying and engineering
quality standards.
Both shafts were largely free of
water and geological anomalies. A
trace of gas was detected when
negotiating the Bald Hill Claystones
at a depth of 160 to 180 metres. No
further gas was detected until the
Bulli Seam was encountered.
SEAM DEVELOPMENT
Development of the in-seam
connection linking the two shafts is
currently being undertaken. Two
headings are being driven in parallel
and pillars formed to assist with
ventilation of the working face.
Development is proceeding on a one
shift per day basis.
On completion of the in-seam
connection, it is planned to develop
pit room to the north for at least
500 metres to allow for gas drainage
works. It is then planned to develop
pit room to the south and ultimately
in the east and west directions.
Under Stage I, about 160,000
tonnes of coal will be mined using a
The Aus.I.M.M. Sydney Branch, Project Development Symposium, November 1983
101
Joy 12CM Continuous Miner and two Joy
22 sic Shuttle Cars.
Coal is being hoisted to the
surface using the contractor's
sinking headframe and winder which has
a capacity of about 100 tonnes per
hour. It is proposed to retain both
sinking headframes and winders on
site until Stage II development
commences.
GAS DRAINAGE
Gas drainage technology was
pioneered in Australia at West Cliff
Mine by Company staff in conjunction
with the Commonwealth Scientific and
Industrial Research Organisation,
the Australian Coal Industry Research
.Laboratories and the Department of
Mineral Resources/~hdustrial Relations.
The success of the gas drainage
programme culminated in the
commissioning of Australia's first
surface gas drainage station in
March, 1980.
Currently, gas drainage at West
Cliff Mine is being achieved by:-
Installing 100m drainage
holes into blocks of virgin
coal (pre-drainage),
Installing drainage holes
into the coal seams under-
lying the Bulli Seam
(pre-drainage and post-
drainage), and
Post-drainage from sealed
goaf areas.
It is proposed to drain gas in a
similar manner at West Cliff Extended
and to install a similar gas drainage
station. Research and development of
longhole drilling technology is
currently being conducted to extend
·the effectiveness of pre-drainage.
102 K.TALBOT

It is anticipated gas drainage holes Metropolitan Water Sewerage and

up to 1 km. in length would be Drainage Board, the State Pollution
ultimately installed. Control Commission and the Soil

PROJECT CONTROL Conservation Service of N.S.W.

Project management is achieved Monitoring is also carried out regular-

with a compact multi-disciplined site ly for:-

Dust,
team which is responsible for both
managerial control of the existing Water,

project and the guidelines for the Erosion Control, and

planning and development of Stage 11. Water Table Levels in

The site team is assisted by a relation to Sedgelands.

mUlti-disciplined estimating and

STAGE II
engineering group (Coal Development
DESCRIPTION OF WORKS
Services) which is a subsidiary of
The long lead time activities are:
Kembla Coal and Coke. Coal Development·
Statutory Approval,
Services has acquired considerable
The sinking of No. 5 Shaft,
experience and expertise in mine
The procurement and
development during design and
installation of permanent
construction of the Darkes Forest
winders, and
Mine and West Cliff Mine projects.
The procurement of production
The site team is also assisted
equipment.
by Vale Engineering, another subsidiary
Various support facilities are
of Kembla Coal and Coke, which carry
also required to permit the mine to
out engineering design, manufacture
produce up to 2 million tonnes per
and maintenance of various mining
annum. Support facilities include:-
items for the project.
Upgrading of a 6 km. road,
Critical path scheduling is used
Upgrading the 11kV transmission
as the basis of project control.
line to 66kV,
The project budget is arranged to
A bathhouse and office complex,
coincide with the activities of the
A store and workshop,
critical path schedule.
A 600 tonne per hour washery
ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS and associated coal handling
West Cliff Mine commenced in 1976 works,
and achieved a high standard of • A new water supply dam, together
environmental control, which will be with pollution and environmental
continued at West Cliff Extended. controls,
During the interim construction A gas drainage and gas
phase, the Company is still conscious utilisation plant, and
of its environmental obligations and Permanent ventilation fans.
is successfully complying with all the
conditions of statutory approval.
The site drainage programme complies
with the requirements of the

The Aus.I.M.M. Sydney Branch, Project Development Symposium, November 1983

 K.TALBOT
PROJECT TIMING
Providing Statutory Approval is
obtained Stage 11 can be constructed
in about 2 years.
The construction of Stage 11 West
Cliff Extended will be co-ordinated
with the winding down of Coal Cliff
Mine. It is estimated that Stage 11
West Cliff Extended will be
constructed during 1985 and 1986.
Production would commence in 1987
with planned production being achieved
in 1990.
STATUTORY APPROVAL
Negotiations for Stage 11
Statutory Approval have commenced.
Applications for the new mine have
been lodged with various authorities
and include:-
A Development Application -
Wollondilly Council,
Application under Order No.
27 - Joint Coal Board,
Mining Purposes Lease -
Department of Mineral Resources,
and
License to Construct a Dam -
Water Resources Commission.
An Environmental Impact Statement
was prepared to assess the environ-
mental implications of the proposal,
as per the Environmental Planning and
Assessment Act 1979.
The Mine will ultimately employ
up to 450 men. It is anticipated up
to 250 men from Coal Cliff Mine will
have the opportunity to apply for
positions at West Cliff Extended.
The additional labour will be drawn
from established regions such as the
Illawarra, Campbelltown and Camden
areas. No additional infrastructure
is required to service the established
The Aus.l.M.M. Sydney Branch, Project Development Symposium, November 1983
103
communities.
MINING METHODS
Initial development would be
carried out to the north and south.
The development would provide pit
room fdr gas drainage and further
prove the geology of the reserves.
The decision on western roadway
development can then be made to
maximize potentia~ longwall reserves.
All development would be carried
out using continuous miners and
shuttle cars. Second workings would
be achieved with a longwall mining
unit and a continuous miner using the
Wongawilli method of pillar extraction
as required.
Rubber tyred equipment would be
used to transport men and materials.
Underground rail track would be used
in the immediate area around the men
and materials winding shaft only.
Eleven kV electricity would be
reticulated underground. All
equipment would be 1000V, including
belt conveyors and pumps.
Coal would be conveyed to a
centrally located below seam bin.
The ultimate capacity of the bin may
be supplemented by in-seam bunkers
as required.
The mine would be ventilated
using three centrifugal fans in
parallel. One fan would be used
permanently on a stand-by and
maintenance basis. Face ventilation
would be achieved using brattice
cloth and venturi blowers.
The pit bottom area is being
developed on the basis of 45m x 45m
pillars. Main road development would
consist of 60m x 30m pillars to
minimise cut-throughs.
104 K.TALBOT

PERMANENT WINDERS Extended pit top including coal washing

The permanent winders required and refuse disposal facilities can be
are:- located within the catchment area of
Men and materials - No. 3 shaft, the proposed dam. The arrangement
Bulk Winder - No. 5 shaft, and would provide for a closed circuit
Emergency Winder - No. 4 shaft. pollution control.
Investigations into the men and A dam on O'Hare's Creek may be
material winder design have commenced. used to ultimately supply the proposed
Two winder manufacturers have North Cliff Mine. The proposed North
completed independent studies into the Cliff Mine reserves are contiguous with
general arrangement design of the and north of the West Cliff Extended
winder. The manufacturers have Mine reserves.
identified a typical shaft lay-out
COAL HANDLING
including the maximum size of cage.
Coal hoisted to the surface with
It is proposed to use rope guides
the bulk winder would be transferred
which require a minimum clearance of
to a Bradford Breaker and ultimately
380mm to the shaft wall. Coal
to a 600 tonne per hour washery. It
Development Services are investigating
is proposed to install enclosed
various engineering alternatives for
run-of-mine and product bins serviced
the handling of me~ and materials
by enclosed conveyors. The product
within the proposed cage arrangement.
bins would allow for coal to be trucked
The bulk winder design will be
from site by motor lorries •
. based on the existing bulk winder
operating at West Cliff Mine. It is PROJECT ECONOMICS
proposed to increase the capacity of The project economics was assessed
the winder and to revise the loading on the basis of discounted cash flow
arrangements at the pit bottom to rate of return analysis. A cash flow
that installed at West Cliff Mine. schedule based on a minimum operating
mine life of 15 years was used.
WATER SUPPLY
Revenues after year 15 were not
The estimated daily consumption
considered because:-
is about 3 megalitres per day. The
(a) The present worth factor
options assessed were:-
is small, and
Upgrading the existing Brennan's
( b) It is dtfficult to assess
Creek Dam at West Cliff Mine,
inflation rates.
Constructing dams on creeks
In 1980 capital approval for
adjacent to the West Cliff
Stage I works was sought. At that time
Extended pit top, namely the
development of the Stage I project into
O'Hare's and Stokes Creeks, or
a separate mine showed a favourable
Pumping from the Metropolitan
discounted cash flow rate of return even
Water Sewerage and ~rainage
allowing for contributions to off road
Board's Cataract Dam.
transport infrastructure.
The preferred option is to
construct a 500 megalitre dam on
O'Hare's Creek. The West Cliff
The Aus.l.M.M. Sydney Branch, Project Development Symposium, November 1983
 K.TALBOT
Since 1980 coal sale revenues
have not matched inflation rates and
mining costs have exceeded the
national inflation rate. An example
of increasing mining costs is the
January 1982 Award negotiation. The
result of the January 1982 Award
negotiation was about $109 per man
per week when all benefits were
translated to dollar equivalents.
The Award variation meant an increase
in operating costs of about $3 to $4
per tonne to the average mlne
operator.
Capital costs since 1980 have
also increased significantly. In
1980 the estimated cost of Stage I
works was $14.5 million. In today's
dollars the estimate is about
$22.5 million.
Development of the project into
a separate operating mine is now not
sufficiently viable to permit any
contribution to transport infra-
structure.
COAL TRANSPORT
The Company has previously
proposed a scheme that avoided road
haulage to Port Kembla. The scheme
comprised:-
(a) A conveyor transport drift
through the Illawarra
escarpment to Coal Cliff
rail siding, and
(b) Ultimately an overland
conveyor linking K.C.C.
mines west of the escarpment
with the drift portal.
The Company can no longer afford
to construct the transport infra-
structure.
The Aus.I.M.M. Sydney Branch, Project Development Symposium, November 1983
105
GAS DRAINAGE & GAS UTILISATION
Drainage of methane gas will be
similar to the arrangement operating
at West Cliff Mine. A separate
gas drainage plant will be commissioned
at West .Cliff Extended.
It is estimated up to 10 megawatts
of electrical energy can be generated
by utilising the drained methane gas.
. The arrangement for gas utilisatio~
cannot be finalised until the pilot
plant study at West Cliff Mine is
completed. Gas drained at West
Cliff Extended could be either
utilised on site or reticulated to
West Cliff to be used in a central
gas utilisation plant.
CONCLUSIONS
Development of any new Mine
requires a long lead time. In the
Illawarra area west of the escarpment
the lead time is increasing due to
the need to pre-drain gas from the
coal seam prior to production mining.
The cost of conducting gas
drainage works in advance of the mine
generating a positive cash flow
provides an additional economic
burden to the development of a new
mine. The mine planner must quantify
the risks and incorporate technology
into the mine design in an effort to
achieve productivity levels
sufficient to permit capital costs
to be amortized.
The economics of a new mine
development are further eroded by the
inordinately long lead time for
statutory approval in New South Wales.
While external and domestic
markets for coal remain uncertain, it
is still necessary to develop replace-
ment mines such as West Cliff Extended
106 K.TALBOT

to maintain existing contracts. to publish the paper and also to

Messrs. R. Ruston and P. Marshall for
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
their assistance in proof reading.
The Author wishes to acknowledge
Kembla Coal and Coke for permission

The Aus.I.M.M. Sydney Branch, Project Development Symposium, November 1983