Located in the Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia, Drayton mine has a lease size of 1,768ha and is part of the 2,100km² Hunter Coalfield, the largest coal-producing region in New South Wales.
Operations at the Drayton mine will be shifted from a seven-day to five-day roster in an attempt to slow down production and extend the life-of-mine, as part of the plan.
Currently, Drayton thermal coal employs 500 people although the company is considering relocating some workers to the adjacent operation.
According to the company, equipment at the mine will be removed and a few layoffs will take place.
Drayton mine general manager Clarence Robertson told Australian Mining that the company was aiming to get approvals for the project in 2013, however, it failed to do so.
"We are persevering to secure state government approval for Drayton South, but as a result of the delays with the approvals process, we have run out of time to achieve the overlap we needed to keep the entire workforce employed while we developed the project," Robertson said.
Anglo American operates the mine and owns an 88.2% interest while other mine partners include Mitsui Coal Development Australia (3.8%), Mitsui Mining Australia (3%), Hyundai Australia (2.5%) and Daesung Australia (2.5%).
