Ownership
Arcadia Coal Pty Ltd owns EPC 892 and EPC 1204 Arcadia, which covers part of the Permian Bowen Basin. It is located 4 km S of Rolleston, and is bound to the north by the Dawson Highway (Figure 1). A rail line runs 12 km to the NW of the lease, and connects to the Blackwater – Gladstone corridor.
Location and Infrastructure
The Arcadia coal deposit lies within the NW trending Denison Trough, which lies along the western margin of the Bowen Basin, and comprises coal seams within the Bandanna Formation. The Upper Permian Bandanna Formation is a direct correlative to the Rangal Coal Measures, situated to the NE. Conformably overlain by the Triassic Rewan Formation, the Bandanna Formation contains up to 7 coal seams within the area. The overlying Rewan Formation is generally capped with Tertiary basalts, unconsolidated sands or clays.
The lease is dominated by several NW trending broad anticlines, from west to east identified as the Rolleston Anticline and the Purbrook Anticline.
Previous Exploration
A detailed and comprehensive literature search was carried out over EPC 892/1204.
The various data sources include:
• Petroleum company reports
• Coal exploration company reports
• Department of Minerals and Energy records
• Department of Primary Industries – Water Resource records
40 exploration holes, including 16 open holes, and one core hole drilled by Arcadia Coal Pty Ltd have been completed within the EPC, targeting the two anticlines described above. A single coal quality core hole has been completed within each of the resource area by the Queensland Department of Minerals and Energy, along with a further two core holes completed by the tenement holder and others in the Purbrook Anticline. The coal quality data is reported in Table 1. The remainder of the 40 holes were completed by petroleum operators.
Resource Estimate
Excellent seismic data exist throughout the Rolleston Anticline (Figure 2), acquired as part of the historical oil and gas exploration within EPC892. Somewhat limited seismic coverage exists for the Purbrook Anticline, though is sufficient in both cases to demonstrate resource continuity.
Hole spacing is irregular, with 18 holes within the Rolleston Anticline, and a further 22 holes covering the Purbrook Anticline (Figure 2). The resource estimate presented here divides EPC892 into two domains, here identified as Rolleston and Purbrook (Figure 2).
Coal Quality
Coal quality is detailed in Table 1, presenting data from the main target seam, A2, and a number of underlying and overlying seams. All resource estimates contained within this report refer solely to intersections of the Aries 2 Seam. Overburden ratios are too great for current open cut mining methods, however the Aries 2 seam in both areas is amenable to shallow underground mining.
Resolve Geo has estimated an inferred resource within the two target areas in EPC 892 totaling 272.9 mT of bituminous coal. Details are contained within Table 2, Resource estimates, EPC 892, Arcadia.
Table 1: Coal Quality
Consuelo 5 is located on the Rolleston Anticline, Consuelo 6, Wangalee 1 and Purbrook 15 are on the Purbrook Anticline.
| Hole Number |
Seam |
Thickness (m) |
Relative Density |
Moisture % (adb) |
Ash % (adb) |
Vols (adb) |
Sulphur (adb) |
Specific Energy Mi/Kg (adb) |
| Consuelo 5 |
A1 |
0.89 |
1.40 |
10.4 |
9.9 |
29.2 |
0.28 |
25.74 |
| Consuelo 5 |
A2 |
2.96 |
1.38 |
10.5 |
8.5 |
28.3 |
0.29 |
26.59 |
| Consuelo 5 |
POL |
0.93 |
1.34 |
10.1 |
6.6 |
31.3 |
0.37 |
27.84 |
| Consuelo 5 |
O1 |
0.89 |
1.42 |
9.2 |
13.2 |
30.5 |
0.29 |
25.82 |
| Consuelo 6 |
A1 |
1.04 |
1.45 |
5.4 |
14.9 |
30.6 |
0.32 |
25.53 |
| Consuelo 6 |
A2 |
2.08 |
1.42 |
5.1 |
13.1 |
29.5 |
0.33 |
27.00 |
| Wangalee 1 |
A1 |
1.24 |
1.42 |
3.6 |
12.8 |
32.5 |
|
|
| Wangalee 1 |
A2 |
3.19 |
1.42 |
3.4 |
10.3 |
30.5 |
|
|
| Purbrook 15 |
A1 |
1.29 |
1.41 |
3.68 |
14.5 |
30.8 |
0.51 |
27.50 |
| Purbrook 15 |
A2 |
2.33 |
1.41 |
2.88 |
11.87 |
31.0 |
0.27 |
28.67 |
Table 2: Resource estimates, EPC 892/1204, Arcadia
| Domain |
Size (m²) |
Coal Seam |
Average Thickness |
R.D |
Tonnes (mT) |
JORC Status |
| Rolleston |
31,303,415 |
A2 |
2.91 |
1.38 |
125.7 |
Inferred |
| Purbrook |
40,500,000 |
A2 |
2.56 |
1.42 |
147.2 |
Inferred |
Figure 1: Location Map EPC 892, Arcadia.
Figure 2: Drill hole locations, seismic and domain distribution, EPC 892, Arcadia
