Glencore postpones Ravensworth underground coal mine closure

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Glencore Xtrata has announced that it has postponed the planned closure of its 2.1mn t/yr Ravensworth underground coal mine in Australia to November.

Glencore postpones Ravensworth underground coal mine closure
Image credit: www.ravensworthoperations.com.au

The company announced in March that it plans to close the mine and suspend all operations due to the plunging coal prices, reports The Energy Business Review.

The mine is a joint venture of Glencore, Marubeni and South Korean firm Posco.  Ravensworth began production in 2007 and has been managed by Glencore since February 2008.

The reason behind the delay is to allow the workers enough time to secure new jobs, the company said.

Only underground mining will be affected with the closure; the two open cuts will continue to operate as usual.

Adertisement

Glencore also announced that it will do all it can to retain as many workers as possible.

Ravensworth Underground Mine (RUM) is situated in the Hunter Valley Coalfields of New South Wales, approximately 25 kilometres northwest of Singleton.

The Ravensworth Coal Handling Preparation Plant and the Ravensworth Coal Terminal operate at the site, and are utilised by RUM for coal preparation and loading purposes. Approximately 230 men and women work on site to run the 24 hours 5 days per week operation.