Mining Goonyella Middle Seam and 24 years of Spontaneous Combustion Events. When will we learn?

The Goonyella Middle Seam averages over 6 metres in thickness. There is also the Goonyella Upper seam which forms part of the goaf as the roof collapses from Longwall Mining

The Longwalls take up to around 4 metres of the coal.

The Mines in this seam have a built in active spontaneous combustion hazard.

Metres of fractured coal (millions of tonnes) in the Goaf.

History has proved that if your longwall sits in one spot for a month or more, there is a consistent and predictable chance that there will be a heating.

North Goonyella was open around 10 years prior to Moranbah North, which was followed by Grosvenor a bit over a decade later.

North Goonyella had its first Heating in 1997 in 3 South Longwall.

It lost its first Longwall in 2000 with 5 South Longwall, but the mine was saved due to pre- Installed Prep Seals swung shut as the Mine was being evacuated.

North Goonyella suffered further heatings in at least 3Nth, and 7 North Longwall Blocks.

Again in 7 North pre- Installed Prep Seals were again employed and the Mine safely recovered even if the Longwall was not fully recovered.

Losing North Goonyella in 2018 to a totally preventable Heating, Fire and Methane Explosion alone, could possibly be just passed off as gross negligence and/or incompetence.

Why the Management acted or did not act the way they did only Mr Romanski and company can tell us.

The Mines Department still clings to whatever absurd reasons they have for keeping the Investigation Report from North Goonyella a Secret.

My opinion being they do not want the oversight and involvement of the Department subject to public scrutiny.

I was certainly not surprised that Grosvenor caught fire after Longwall operations ceased after the Methane Explosion that resulted in 5 Miners suffering horrific life threatening burns.

Why during the month or so the Mine and Inspectors were conducting their Investigations, they did not install Prep Seals at Grosvenor is a question only they can answer?

Less than 12 months later Anglo’s Sister pit which has an adjoining lease has seemingly spontaneous combustion driven event which they have not been able to explain.

2700 to 2800 ppm each of Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen and 36 ppm Ethylene, and last reports are the Mine still cannot explain exactly what has happened.

Losing 1 mine that seems to involve gross negligence or incompetence and inadequate oversight and adequate precautions does not seem to be enough to generate public, immediate and industry wide review by the Mines Inspectorate

Losing a Second one at Grosvenor just seems to have been lost in amongst the Explosion and its immediate aftermath.

Again the Department just seems to have let it go straight through to the keeper.

Nothing to see or worry about here.

Anglo are saying publicly that there was no evidence of explosion at Moranbah North.

All I can say is Goonyella Middle Seam, Hydrogen, Carbon Monoxide, Ethylene, Ventilation Reversal/Strange bump noise in the goaf, North Goonyella, Grosvenor

Whatever the case, it all sounds like the same public relations script that Mining Companies trot out just like at North Goonyella and then Grosvenor

What would losing a third Mine in just over 2 years say about the Industry Management and Regulator