In 2010 the government published the
interim report on the planned easing of accessibility to the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA), which hosts the SACL mining tenements WEC acquired recently (EL4534, formerly EL3386).
The report proposes easing access to the WPA and streamlining application procedures. Further WPA shall be divided in three zones:
For the "core area" (south of 30 °S and east of Stuart Highway running at ~135 °E) no new permits shall be issued. Since this zone is situated 50km southeast of EL4534, WEC is not affected by this.
For the "zones of moderate Defence use" permits shall be issued on a time-sharing basis, so the applicants may access tenements during certain hours/days/weeks.
For the "zones of least Defence use" unlimited access should be granted "with Defence retaining the right to exclude access for a limited period each year following a fixed period of notice."
The Centre-Line Corridor (marked red in the map below), which runs over the southwestern part of EL4534 and covers ~60% of the coal-bearing surface will surely be declared a "zone of moderate Defence use":
p.24:
"The Defence need for exclusive access is less frequent in the centre-line corridor, [...]."
Unfortunately according to p.55 there's no hope this air corridor with a width of ~37km could be reduced:
"The Review is inclined to agree with Defence that the Range Centre Line Corridor should be maintained."
Based on estimates published by Auiron Energy (renamed in Felix Resources later) in their Coal Mine Feasibility Study during the Annual Meeting in 2001
("[They] succeeded in outlining 5 billion tonnes of sub-bituminous grade steaming coal with a low ash content around lake Philipson") and the estimates of the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy (SACOME) from August, 7th 2010
("The size of the Lake Phillipson Coal Deposit in the WPA core area (or zone of exclusion in EL3386) is estimated to comprise about 3.6 billion tonnes." p.10 of
this submission) in near future there should be some 1.4Bt of subbituminous coal in the effectively permanently accessible "zone of least Defence use" and some 3.6Bt in the "zone of moderate Defence", which will be accessible on a time-sharing basis.
The Wirrida Rail Siding loading station is situated some 3-4km within the zone of moderate Defence use, but It is hoped they will find a solution to loading trains permanently.
All in all the interim report is very positive for the planned development of EL4534.
(20min delay)
