Exploration Drilling

SkillsOne meets Centennial Coal Geologist Rachelle Victor is on-site at a mining operation outside Newcastle looking for coal.

The dig is currently 309m down and is getting very interesting with coal being detected. Rachelle is responsible for documenting the dig and talks us through the operation.

She chats about the challenges in mining for coal in these areas including rain and the precision of machinery. She then gives us an overview of what's actually involved in the mining process and how coal is actually extracted from the ground.

About Centennial Coal:
Centennial Coal was established in 1989.

It is a major fuel supplier to the New South Wales energy industry, fuelling approximately 47% of the State’s coal-fired electricity.

Centennial sells approximately a third of its coal into the export market. Coal is exported through ports at Newcastle and Port Kembla in NSW. Customers include power stations and steel mills in Japan, Korea, India, Europe and South America.

Centennial is the largest independent coal company in Australia in terms of production and has 12 operating coal mines in NSW, making it one of the largest underground coal producers in NSW.