Maxwell Underground Mine

Maxwell Underground mine is located east of Denman and south of Muswellbrook in the Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales.

The mine, approved by the NSW Government in December 2020, followed comprehensive environmental and technical analysis and more than eight years of ongoing consultation with the local community and our neighbours, ensuring the mine can comfortably co-exist with other industries and land use in the area.

Throughout the planning process we have taken a number of practical steps to reduce our impact on the environment and the community.

Maxwell Underground utilises less intrusive underground extraction using “bord and pillar” and “longwall” mining methods. The mine produces high-quality coals with at least 75% of coal produced capable of being used in the making of steel (known as coking or metallurgical coals). The balance is exportable thermal coals suitable for the new-generation high efficiency, low emissions power generators.

• Maxwell Underground will produce high-quality coals over a period of approximately 26 years. 
• The main activities associated with the development of the mine include:
  • underground bord and pillar mining with partial pillar extraction in the Whynot Seam;
  • underground longwall extraction in the Woodlands Hill, Arrowfield and Bowfield Seams;
• The construction phase commenced in May 2022 and will involve the generation of roughly 400 jobs and the services of many local businesses and suppliers.
• Once construction is complete the project will generate 430 full-time, long-term new jobs, delivering $86 million in wages into the local economy each year.
• The mine will generate more than $1 billion to 1.2 billion in mining royalties for the people of NSW over the initial 26 years of Maxwell Underground.

Maxwell Underground is located in the Hunter Coalfield in the northern part of the Permo-Triassic Sydney Basin, which forms the southern portion of the Sydney-Gunnedah-Bowen Basin. The Wittingham Coal Measures occur widely within the Hunter Coalfield and contain many recoverable seams. Maxwell Underground targets mining of the Whynot, Woodlands Hill, Arrowfield and Bowfield Seams.