Oakbridge, in combination with its joint venture partner, Nippon Steel of
Japan, is expanding its Bulga underground and open cut mines to meet the
growing demand for coal in the Asian market. Expansion works
underway will see the Bulga underground mine become a world leader in
underground productivity, the introduction of a high capacity dragline
into the open cut mine (largest capacity dragline in NSW) as well as a
major upgrade of the coal preparation plant (CPP) and coal handling
facilities (CHF) to process the increased production. This paper describes the planning and implementation of this major
expansion program and highlights the rationale behind some key aspects
of the program.