The operator of the Appin mine has been told by the state’s resources regulator that it must report weekly on gas levels and alarms, following two methane incidents in the past seven months.
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South32 was slapped with a prohibition notice earlier this month after the methane level underground at its Appin Colliery exceeded legislated limits on May 7.
The notice halted normal mining operations and prevented miners going underground, except to carry out safety-related inspections and maintenance work.
The NSW Resources Regulator has since revoked that ban, but has issued South32 a separate notice that contains a number of requirements about the ongoing management of gas levels.
A spokesman said the regulator had met with mine management to review the actions taken to “effectively deal with elevated levels of methane gas”.
“The mine has now put additional control measures in place to ensure workers are safely withdrawn from the mine when gas levels are above specified limits,” the spokesman said.
Following an extensive review into the cause of the high methane levels and the processes in place to withdraw workers, the regulator revoked the prohibition notice on Tuesday.
However, the regulator’s investigation into the incident doesn’t end there.
“To ensure the appropriate ongoing management of gas levels the regulator also issued a notice requiring the mine to provide the regulator with weekly reports on gas trending, gas drainage performance, alarms and remedial actions taken,” the spokesman said.
“The regulator will continue to monitor the gas-related issues at the mine as production resumes.”
A South32 spokeswoman said the company was “pleased to have had the prohibition notice lifted and we are working towards resuming operations”.
“We will continue to work closely with all stakeholders including the NSW Resources Regulator,” she said.
The company has flagged its overall coal production would drop substantially due the gas incident.
The CFMEU blasted the company over the May 7 incident and claimed the methane level hit a dangerously-high reading of 0.7 per cent off the “explosive range”.
“At [a gas reading of ] two per cent they should have shut down all mining processes and evacuated the mine,” the union’s district vice president Bob Timbs told the Mercury on May 8.
“They didn’t and they allowed it to build up to 4.3 [per cent]. The explosive range for methane is between five and 14 per cent.”
In late October, operations at the Appin Colliery ceased after a ventilation fan cut out, resulting in a peak methane reading of 4.73 per cent.
Andrew Pearson
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
