Queensland's southeastern mines are stopped

News via Coalportal.com Jan 12, 2011

Queensland’s continuing flood crisis has now hit coal mining in the state’s southeast, with the major miner, New Hope Corporation, confirming a halt to operations, sources reported.
New Hope says that while its two open cut pits, New Acland and Oakleigh in the Clarence-Moreton Basin west of Brisbane, are operational, floods have stopped coal shipments, either by road or rail, it noted.
The two mines account for New Hope’s 5Mtpa output, most of it exported through the New Hope-owned Brisbane port coal terminal.
New Hope’s confirmation follows news that global giant Peabody Energy has suspended mining at its Wilkie Creek thermal coal export operation in the Surat Basin that also ships through Brisbane - and a halt to rail shipments to the port from the Syntech Resources company’s Surat Basin Cameby Downs mine, which shipped its first export coal to Brisbane less than two months ago.