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 11 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 11 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.
Allan Fidock
CEO
Allan Fidock
CEO
Allan is a resources industry Executive with significant operational and leadership experience who has delivered a range of transformational business solutions in major Australian mining organisations.
Allan has extensive experience leading multiple large mining operations with up to 1,000 employees across diverse commodities and locations, in particular throughout NSW and Queensland.
Recently Allan was Managing Director of HSE, had General Manager roles at BGC and John Swire and Sons and was previously a member of the Macarthur Coal Executive Leadership Group and responsible for mine operations including as the CEO of Middlemount Coal Mine. Allan has also held Board level roles gaining experience in public, private and Not for Profit sectors.
Allan holds an Associate Diploma in Applied Science from the NSW TAFE College, a Master of Business from the University of Newcastle and various Statutory Qualifications from the NSW Mines Department including Open Cut Mine Manager. Allan is also a Graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
John Rearden
GM Finance and Company Secretary
John Rearden
GM Finance and Company Secretary
John joined Batchfire in February 2023 after previously holding senior finance roles, primarily in the resources, construction and technology industries.
John worked in businesses that owned and operated large fleets of heavy equipment across multiple regions including Australasia, the Middle East, Singapore and Canada. Projects that were completed included oil and gas pipelines, water and waste-water infrastructure, drilling for exploration and coal de-gasification and mining services projects, primarily in underground operations.
John is a CPA and holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting). John is very experienced in managing the statutory and governance obligations for a range of corporate organisations, both in the listed and privately owned spheres. As General Manager – Finance, he leads a strong finance team supporting cost focussed mine operations and corporate governance functions. As Company Secretary, he is responsible through the Board for ensuring compliance with all relevant statutory and reporting obligations for Batchfire Resources.
Scott Haynes
GM Operations
Scott Haynes
GM Operations
Scott has over 25 years’ experience in the resources, construction and heavy manufacturing industries as a Commercial Manager, Procurement and Supply Manager, and General Manager of key business functions. He has also performed acting GM Operations and SSE roles at open cut coal mines.
Scott’s experience extends from leading large teams and industrial sales to safely providing a full range of business services to single and multi-site resources businesses in mining, construction, and manufacturing. He focuses on safe production for positive commercial outcomes.
His roles have seen him working with Amcor, Zinifex, Morobe Mining, Ensham Resources, Bechtel Mining & Metals, QNP, and for the last five years, Batchfire Resources.
Scott holds Bachelor degrees in Business and Science with post tertiary training and excellent skills in leading high performing teams, marketing, negotiating and influencing to achieve safe, commercially relevant outcomes. He has taken the lead in negotiating and securing the modernisation of Batchfire’s truck excavator fleets.
John O’Connell
GM Planning
John O’Connell
GM Planning
John is a mining professional with over 18 years’ experience in both operational and technical roles across commodities and mining methodologies. His operational leadership experience spans large mining teams in both open cut coal and iron ore.
John’s career has involved applying technical know-how, experience and innovative thinking to developing teams and mine plans ranging in scope from mining studies, life of mine and Reserves reporting, through to short term execution planning and execution.
Prior to employment with Batchfire where he has provided stability in the mine planning capability for 5 years, John held multiple roles with Rio Tinto and Ensham Resources.
John has Bachelor of Engineering Science (Mining) and Master of Mining Engineering degrees from the University of Ballarat and is a Member of AusIMM.
Scott Southwood
GM Marketing
Scott Southwood
GM Marketing
Scott was appointed to the marketing role at Batchfire upon completion of the purchase of the mine from Anglo Coal in November 2016.
Scott has over 25 years of coal industry experience in Australian and international companies, and a history with the Callide mine that goes back to 1998, with Shell Coal.
Formerly the Marketing Manager for Ensham Resources, Scott also has experience as a technical specialist in resource evaluation, project due diligence and origination for various projects in countries including Australia, Mongolia and Russia.
Scott holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Queensland.
Stuart Schmidt
GM ESG & Development
Stuart Schmidt
GM ESG & Development
Stuart has a career in planning, engineering, construction and operations management of open cut resource development and associated infrastructure. He brings expertise in innovative and technology enabled solutions for construction, overburden removal, coal extraction, and cost effective steady state mine operations. His mechanical engineering, business management, and geotechnical capability enables Stuart to bring whole of life and sustainability considerations to the Batchfire transitional energy business.
Stuart’s expertise in mine operations productivity and construction was grown successfully through time with BHP Iron Ore, Thiess, Golding Contractors, John Holland, Bechtel and recently at Batchfire Resources. He understands the entire resources value chain from exploration drilling through to optimised mine operations having led contract mining technical teams from geology, geotechnical and estimation phases through design to construction, commissioning and continuous improvement.
In operations roles, he has been responsible for teams from 30 to 300 people operating extensive fleets moving from 10 to 100 million m3 of material per year.
Stuart’s experience builds on a BE (Mechanical) degree and a PhD, (Mining/Tunnelling – Rock Mechanics), both from the University of Queensland, and an MBA (Technology) from Deakin University.
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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