1.2.2.1.5 Ravensworth Underground Mine

Ravensworth Underground Mine, formerly Newpac Colliery (Glencore, 2014b, p. 11), is part of the Ravensworth Mining Complex. The mine has been managed by Xstrata Coal NSW (now Glencore plc) since February 2008 and is a joint venture operation between Resource Pacific Pty Ltd (owned by Glencore and Marubeni) and POSCO (Glencore, 2014b, p. 3). Ravensworth Underground Mine currently has approval until 2023 (Glencore, 2014b, p. 33). Coal resources as at December 2013 were reported to be 320 Mt (measured), 220 Mt (indicated) and 250 Mt (inferred) (GlencoreXstrata, 2014, p. 49). Glencore announced in mid-2014 that Ravensworth Underground Mine operations would be suspended in late 2014, due to increasingly difficult economic conditions. Despite a temporary reprieve towards the end of 2014, the underground operation was placed into care and maintenance due to economic constraints in October 2014 (Xstrata Coal, 2015). Environmental management and rehabilitation will be performed while the established Ravensworth Complex Environment Management System will continue to be implemented (Glencore, 2014c, p. 2).