Galilee Basin mine approved – Adani’s Carmichael thermal coal project

Indian based Adani Group are feeling pretty good owing to their Galilee Basin mine being approved.

The multi billion dollar thermal coal mine in north-western Queensland could sustain thousands of mining jobs for many years to come.

Last week, iMINCO reported on how the Galilee Basin coal mining projects were still a possibility [Galilee Basin, Adani, Abbot Point, investment & mining jobs], despite negative sentiment generated by the media and other sources. The mining industry in Australia can be unpredictable and just as world markets evolve and� circumstances change,� so must mining companies react accordingly.

So when more good news about a Galilee Basin mine project is announced, we feel it needs to be shared with the thousands of people who visit the iMINCO website every day.

Adani Group, the Indian power and energy group have been working with the Queensland government on approval of the huge Carmichael project in the Galilee Basin. This thermal coal mine has been flagged as one of the biggest coal mines in the world, once fully operational.

In terms of production volume, Adani’s Carmichael mine is expected to produce about 60 million tonnes of thermal coal each year which will be railed to Adani’s Abbot Point coal terminal. Recently, Adani took delivery of a fully refurbished ship loader in preparation for mining operations to start.

Construction of the mine will take a couple of years with the first coal shipments expected to leave Abbot Point for India in 2016.

Building a billion dollar Galilee Basin mine

Queensland is well-known for it’s rich coal deposits and the Carmichael mine is considered to be the biggest single coal tenement in the world.

The mammoth mining project requires a challenging 189 kilometre rail line be constructed through existing farming and livestock breeding areas, something that has always caused controversy. The mine is slated to be huge, requiring a sophisticated water supply infrastructure, a huge accommodation village and, of course, an airport to accommodate the FIFO workforce.

The mine approval signals good news for people who have been looking to the mining industry in Queensland as a source of employment. Just as other mining companies have opened billion dollar coal projects�in the adjacent Bowen Basin, the Carmichael Galilee Basin mine could create almost 4000 full-time mining jobs in the region. [Queensland mining jobs outlook – Adani]

Even during the build phase, estimates of some 2,500 mining construction jobs� could be created as the mine starts to become a physical reality.

Government approval kick-starts Carmichael mine development

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jeff Seeney, said the Adani Galilee Basin mine was given government approval after it met the 190 environmental and social conditions that were imposed on the project.

In a typical EIS framework, the conditions that had to be met included the protection of landholders, local flora and fauna, the protection of local groundwater resources, surface water containment and� the management of air pollution, dust and noise.

More coal mines & mining jobs for the Galilee Basin

Australian mining companies are placing a lot of emphasis on separate coal mining projects in the Galilee Basin. The extensive coal deposits have caught the attention of Indian power companies for some years now and finally things are moving ahead.

Other mining companies which are actively pursuing Galilee Basin mine approvals are GVK-Hancock, which has a joint venture between Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Coal and Indian company GVK; the Alpha coal and Kevin`s Corner project which has also been flagged as one of the biggest coal mining projects in the world; and�Clive Palmer`s Waratah Coal and the China First coal mining project which has also receive federal government approval.

Thousands of new coal mining jobs for Queensland could be the result of these new mines being given the final stamp of approval and investment funds start to flow.

Training and the development of relevant skills should be the focus for people looking to get a mining job on any of these exciting new projects.

Although the Galilee Basin mines are still to be developed, now is the perfect time to think about the types of training required.

The Australian mining industry has entered a new phase in its history.� Anything is possible when it comes to employment possibilities, especially in areas like unlinked-mining jobs, skilled engineering trades, electronics, infrastructure management, engineering and design, geophysics, work health and safety, and human resources.

Are Galilee Basin mining jobs on the horizon? “� yes!