Australian miner
Rio Tinto has announced that it has started coal
production at the US$2 billion extension project of Kestrel coal mine located in central Queensland. The extension will add 20 years to the life of Kestrel mine, the company's only underground coal operation.
The company said that it processes high quality
coking coal for export at the new area of the mine and that expects to see the first shipment from the new area leave
Australia in the coming weeks. Kestrel South is expected reach full capacity by the end of 2014 and produce an average of 5.7 million mt of coal per year over the next 20 years.