Buller metallurgical coal project aims to exploit several unexplored opencast mining areas within Buller Coalfield located on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand and export metallurgical coals produced at these mining areas predominantly to Japan and other Asian countries. Bathurst Resources Ltd., Australia has a 100% interest in this project. The first mining area planned to be exploited by Buller project is Escarpment mining area. Albeit a coal production at this mining area was scheduled to start within 2014, the commencement of coal production has been put off till 2017 owing to the slumping metallurgical coal market. At this mining area, the production volume of metallurgical coal is expected to be 569,000 tons in 2017, 566,000 tons in 2018 and 800,000 tons in 2019.
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