Curragh Mine: Western Australian Coal Mine Continues Growth

Online, July 26, 2010 (Newswire.com) - (San Diego, CA)-In an interview with Business Review Australia, Curragh Mine Executive GM Rod Bridges, discusses the future of the Queensland coal mining operation. Curragh Mine, located in Queensland, Australia, has been in operation since 1983. Purchased by Wesfarmers in 2000, and most recently led by Executive General Manager, Rod Bridges since 2007, Curragh mine's production has increased to its current level of approximately seven million export tonnes per year. The process of expansion continues even now and Curragh mine plans to be producing 8.5 million export tonnes by the fourth quarter of 2011.

Rod Bridges came to Curragh after serving as Executive General Manager at Kaltim Prima Coal mine in Indonesia, an operation which, according to Bridges, exported thirty-six million tonnes of steaming coal annually into the Asian market. That experience has served Bridges well in Queensland, as it gave him intimate knowledge of what is necessary to handle the planned increase in production.

Commenting on the future of Curragh's operations Bridges said, "We've got the reserves and we're in the position to extract them. We're a successful business, and we're expanding it and moving forward. Furthermore, we're supported by a helpful, cooperative and hardworking workforce."

About Curragh Mine:
Curragh Mine is an open cut coal mine located in Blackwater, Queensland, Australia. Owned by the Wesfarmers Company, Curragh has solid reserves that will secure continued production through 2025.

About Wesfarmers Company:
Wesfarmers began as a farmer's cooperative in Western Australia, and has since "grown into one of Australia's largest listed companies and employers. Its diverse business operations cover supermarkets, department stores, home improvement and office supplies; coal mining; insurance; chemical, energy and fertilisers; and industrial and safety products." Wesfarmers employs more than 210,000 people and focuses its efforts to "provide a satisfactory return" to its 450,000 share holders.

Read the full report at: http://www.businessreviewaustralia.com/company-reports/curragh-mine.