Batchfire Resources is a modern, privately owned transitional energy business producing energy coal from the Callide Mine located in the Callide Basin in Queensland, Australia.
Our valuesOur strong commitment to social and environmental responsibility, diversity, innovation and safety underpins our important contribution to Australia’s energy sector.
Batchfire’s Callide mining tenure covers 16,000 hectares and contains an estimated coal resource of up to 1.07 billion tonnes.
The open-cut Callide Mine has been in operation since 1944, producing low sulfur coal. Batchfire’s technology-driven approach delivers around 10 million tonnes of coal annually for domestic power generation, alumina refining and export to Asia.
Batchfire Resources Pty Ltd is the holding entity for Batchfire Callide Pty Ltd and Batchfire Callide No.2 Pty Ltd which holds the mining tenure in the Callide Basin.
Supporting the Callide Valley
Our home community is Biloela, a thriving regional township at the heart of the Callide Valley. The Callide Mine is 20km northeast of Biloela and 120km southwest of the Port of Gladstone.
Batchfire is proud to be the Callide Valley’s largest employer, with around 700 full time employees and 1250 local families supported directly and indirectly by our ongoing operations.
Around 85 per cent of our direct employees live within the valley itself and our entire workforce is sourced from the local community, with no requirement for ‘fly-in fly-out’ workers.
This employment model makes it easier for our people to maintain close connections to their families and our region, without the challenge of spending long periods working away from home.
Batchfire recognises the First Nations Gaangalu Nation People (GNP) as the Traditional Owners and Native Title claimants over the lands on which we operate.
Our enduring relationship with the GNP helps us to develop partnerships around cultural heritage management, enable access in support of the GNP maintaining connection to country and support engagement in education. We seek to develop business partnership opportunities and continue to increase First Nations employment at the Callide Mine.
Batchfire is committed to continuing safe and environmentally responsible mining operations while supporting regional communities that have been the Callide Mine’s partners for more than 80 years.
Coal type
Batchfire produces an average of around 10 million tonnes per year of ultra-low sulfur energy coal.
This outstanding product is considered the lowest fugitive emission energy coal mined anywhere in Queensland.
Batchfire’s coal is better because of these low fugitive emissions and its ultra-low levels of inherent impurities, compared to other energy coals.
These characteristics make it better suited than most other coals for consumption in power stations, alumina refineries and other major industries within Queensland and worldwide.
Four active areas
The Callide Mine consists of four mining areas: Boundary Hill, Trap Gully, The Hut and Dunn Creek.
The location and infrastructure of these areas allows Trap Gully, The Hut and Dunn Creek to function as an integrated operation known as the Southern Operations. The Boundary Hill mining area is located to the northwest and shares resources with the Southern Operations.
Our site has dedicated infrastructure areas at Boundary Hill and Dunn Creek with facilities for crushing, stockpiling and rail load out.
The Callide Mine is connected by an internal network of haul roads and a link road servicing the active mining areas.
Operations at the Callide Mine
The Callide Mine has nineteen mining leases as well as mineral development licenses and exploration permits over the Callide Basin.
The general geology of the area is characterised by thick, shallow dipping coal seams.
Batchfire’s mining operations are delivered by open cut strip mining methods using draglines for primary overburden removal, supported by up to eight excavator and Rear Dump truck fleets for pre-stripping, coal mining and partings removal.
We have two active draglines, with one dedicated to Boundary Hill Mine and the other dedicated to the Southern Operations.
Batchfire’s markets
Batchfire produces two distinct products to meet the needs of our domestic and export markets.
To achieve this we blend coal from our stockpiles at Boundary Hill and the Southern Operations, matching the specifications required by our customers.
Our domestic coal is conveyed directly to the nearby Callide B and Callide C power stations and railed from Boundary Hill to Queensland Alumina Ltd at Gladstone. This product requires energy of 4550 kcal/kg (as received basis).
Batchfire coal produced for export ranges between 4500 and 5000 kcal/kg (gross as received basis). This is transported by rail to the RG Tanna coal terminal at the Port of Gladstone for shipping to clients in the Asia Pacific.
Leadership team
Batchfire’s leadership team is responsible for the long-term success of our business, providing the industry knowledge and operational expertise gained from years of experience in Australia’s mining sector.
History of the Callide Mine
The Callide Mine has been in continuous operation for more than 80 years, playing a crucial role within the Queensland economy as a source of energy, employment and government revenue.
Mining activity commenced at Callide in 1944 when Thiess Bros began sourcing locomotive coal that was trucked to Gladstone on the old Coal Road.
The site’s past ownership has included Thiess Bros (1945-2000) and a Royal Dutch Shell joint venture with AMP Life (1981-2001) until Anglo-American took 100% control (2002-2016).
The mine has been owned by Batchfire since 1 November 2016, heralding a new era of innovation, productivity, safety and sustainability while enhancing the operation’s strong connection to local communities.
Under Batchfire’s ownership the Callide Mine has increased production and achieved greater efficiency through improved machinery and the introduction of new technology-based systems including new excavator and truck fleets and investment in life extension projects for draglines and fixed infrastructure.
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