Ownership
Arcadia Coal Pty Ltd owns EPC 1742 (formally EPC 892 and EPC 1204) Arcadia, which covers part of the western margin of the Permian aged Bowen Basin, specially within the northwest Denison Trough.
Location and Infrastructure
EPC 1742 is located 4 km south of Rolleston, and is bound to the north by the Dawson Highway. A rail lie runs 12 km to the northwest of the lease, and connects to the Blackwater - Gladstone corridor via the Bauhinia spur line. This spur line provides rail access to the large open cut coal mine operated by Xstrata near Rolleston.
Previous Exploration
The principal coal targets lis in the Upper Permian Bandanna Formation, which is a direct correlative to the Rangal Coal Measures, situated to the northeast. Conformably overlain by the Triassic aged Rewan Formation, the Bandanna Formation contains up to 7 coal seams within the Project area with the Aries 2 Seam being the thickest and major exploration target. The lease is dominated by several northwest trending board anticlines, from west to east identified as the Rolleston Antiline and the Purbrook Anticline. Penetrated Aries 2 Seam thicknesses range from 1.35 m to 4 m and average 2.5 m. Some 40 exploration holes, including 16 open holes, and one core hole have been drilled by Arcadia Coal Pty Ltd. This has enabled a JORC compliant Inferred Resource of 273 Mt to be delineated (Refer to Table of Resources and Reserves and Compliance Statement). Most recent exploration has concentrated on the Purbrook Anticline, located in the eastern portion of the tenement. Although only limited coal quality work has been undertaken there is potential for a soft coking coal component. Potential raw coal product for Purbrook Anticline coal has an ash content of 125 adb, sulphur content of 0.33% and a calorific value of approximately 6597kcal/kg (adb). The coal could be either sold as a raw, good quality, thermal product or washed to produce both a thermal and semi soft coking output.
Current Activity
Bandanna commissioned a Concept Study to scope out the technical feasibility for underground longwall mining extraction. That study concluded that a long wall mine development beneath the Purbrook Anticline was possible (see Figure). Bandanna's vision for the Arcadia Project initially is to develop an underground operation - which may ultimately support two long walls. The surface facilities could be shared with other neighbouring projects such as those at Arcturus and Springsure Creek.
Acadia Tenement showing Conceptual Design of Longwall Development.
