MBGS undertook the exploration and geological reporting for the German Creek tender for Austen & Butta and Capcoal. When the German Creek area was granted in 1977, John and Kerry managed the exploration, and our involvement continued for two more decades.
- Exploration and a trial underground coal mine at Sukunka in the Rocky Mountains, BC, Canada.
- Purari River, Papua New Guinea.
In 1980 Kerry travelled to Antarctica with Cliff and Toby Rose to map areas with coal-bearing strata in the “Dry Valleys” and in 1982 John and Kerry went back to extend the mapping with New Zealand geologists. Almost 5000 sq. km of Antarctic coalfields were mapped under MBGS team presence.
The experience gained at German Creek enabled the company to secure significant exploration projects in Queensland, Tasmania and Thailand.
- German Creek coal exploration continued, and our involvement was quite diverse, including the selection of the area for the Middlemount township and design of the golf course.
- Bowen Basin coal exploration continued at Lake Lindsay, Gordonstone, Valeria and Winchester South.
- Numerous Oil Shale projects in Qld, NSW, WA, SA.
Supervision of coal exploration at Thailand’s largest coal fired power station Mae Moh – 2 year “secondment”.
- Geological support for Cornwall Coal Company (still a client today).
- Mapping coal in Fingal Valley.
Coal exploration at Gloucester, Mt Arthur South and Black Hill, Clarence-Moreton Basin.
- Coal exploration in the Hunter Valley coalfields, with major projects at Warkworth, Bengalla, Howick, Dartbrook, Ravensworth West, Cumnock South, Saddlers Creek, Mt Arthur North
- Western Coalfield – all geological aspects of Ulan Coal Mine were managed by MBGS and our involvement continued well into the 2010s.
- Gunnedah coalfield – Maules Creek.
- Queensland Dept. Minerals and Energy contracted MBGS to assist the preparation of technical summaries of Central Qld land areas released from RA55 for competitive tender.
- Coal exploration in the Bowen Basin – Burton Downs, Newlands, Togara North, Gordonstone, Eastern Creek, Suttor Creek, Oaky Creek, Jellinbah and Wollombi.
- Laura Basin – Bathurst Range.
MBGS provided support for active underground coal operations through mapping at Southland, Dartbrook and Cumnock in the Hunter Valley, NSW. Design and generation of high-quality longwall hazard plans became the final output from underground mapping.
- Resource reporting in accordance with the JORC Code
- During the 2000s and into the 2010s, MBGS reported most coal resources owned by Xstrata/Glencore in Australia, Canada and Colombia.
- Hunter Valley, NSW: Glendell, Mt Owen, Ravensworth, Mt Arthur North, Mt Ogilvie, Southland/Austar, Bulga/Beltana, West Wallsend, United, Lemington, Cumnock, Wallerawang, Narama, Mitchells Flat, Saddlers Creek, Molopo, Emu Creek, Mangoola/Anvil Hill, Dartbrook, Liddell, Ravensworth Underground
- Southern Coalfield, NSW: Tahmoor
- Gloucester Basin, NSW: Duralie, Clareval, Stratford, Roseville
- Gunnedah Basin, NSW: Boggabri , Cobbora, Maules Creek
- Western Coalfield, NSW: Ulan, Running Stream, Baal Bone, Wilpinjong, Moolarben
The coal boom also brought to light complex coal deposits that required computer modelling to reflect difficult geological interpretations. MBGS was at the forefront of 3D fault modelling in Minex and Vulcan in some very interesting but very complex places:
- Prodeco and Cerrejon in Colombia.
- Shinejinst and Zeegt in Mongolia.
- Mt Owen and Gloucester in NSW.
The 2000s saw Mongolia coal exploration boom and MBGS was there at the beginning. MBGS carried out an extensive review and site investigations of all major and many minor coal occurrences throughout Mongolia. These surveys led to our involvement in exploration on the ground, building complex geological models and reporting resource estimates:
- Baruun Naran, South Gobi Sands, Gobi Coal, Tavan Tolgoi, Ovoot, Nuurstei and Khar Servegen.
- Due diligence studies and coal basin reviews for most of the coal deposits in Mongolia.
Work in China over this decade consisted mainly of Due Diligences…and there were a lot! China was implementing its stated policy of amalgamating or closing ‘village’ mines that produces less than 30,000 t/pa. MBGS reviewed approximately 70 underground and open cut mines, covering the major coal basins in China, including Heilongjiang, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Nei Mongol and Hebei Provinces.
International interest in Africa’s coal deposits increased in the 2000s due to the coal boom. High raw ash coal with clean coal coking properties was gaining attention. MBGS was involved in exploration at Benga, Mozambique for Riversdale.
With the boom, due diligence work around the world expanded exponentially in China, Indonesia, Mongolia, South Africa, Australia, Russia, Poland, South and North America.
- MBGS assisted Glencore with the geological development of Cerrejon, Calenturitas and La Jagua mines in Colombia.
- Geological support, management of large exploration programs, built geological models, estimated and reported coal resources that increased resources and life of mine of both Prodeco and Cerrejon coal mines in Colombia.
- Review of numerous coal deposits, project areas and working coal mines throughout Colombia including Catatumbo, Pribbenow, Magdalena Valley, San Luis, Cerro Largo, El Hatillo, La Francia, Las Carmelitas, El Descanso.
The rapid drop in coal price severely impacted the coal mining industry and MBGS was not excluded. But thanks to very loyal clients our company survived and recovered from this weak resource’s economy.
Coal exploration diminished in Australia, but overseas exploration remained buoyant in Canada, Alaska, Mozambique, Colombia and Mongolia.
- Coal exploration, data reviews, geological models and coal resource reporting in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and Alberta, Canada.
- Coal exploration at Chickaloon, Alaska.
- Technical review of coal projects in Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Colorado, Illinois.
- Acquisition and subsequent development of underground mine at Donkin, Nova Scotia, Canada.
- Coal exploration at Benga continued.
- Ncondezi coal exploration and modelling.
- Vale and ENRC geology and resource audits.
Coal exploration, geological modeling and resource reporting:
- in all the coalfields of NSW at numerous coal mines and greenfield projects.
- in WA – Paradise Duchess (Canning Basin), Premier and Wilga (Collie Basin)
- In QLD – Olive Downs, Wilunga
During the difficult times in coal exploration, our geological modelling team became stronger as companies sought to optimise their coal projects in complex deposits around the world.
Some of the geological models created by MBGS include:
Australia:
- Foxleigh, Wilpeena, Yarrabee, Harrybrandt and Athena in the Bowen Basin – QLD.
- Moolarben, Gloucester, Austar, Ashton and Mt Thorley Warkworth, Maxwell, Spur Hill – NSW.
- Premier, Wilga in the Collie/Wilga Basin – WA
International:
- Sukunka, Suska, Grassy Mountain in BC and Alberta, Canada.
- Benga, Ncondezi, ENRC, Moatize in Mozambique.
- Calenturitas, La Jagua mines in Colombia.
Coal exploration and project reviews continued in this decade across numerous coal basins including:
- Tavan Tolgoi, South Gobi, Orkhon-Selenge, Mongol Altai, South Hangai, Dund Gobi, Dornogobi, Ongyn Gol, Kharkhirra, Choir Nyalag and Ikh Bogd.
- Coal exploration at Alkatvaam in Russia.
- Deposit review in Kyrgystan.
- Due Diligence at Yakutia Basin in Siberia.