DEPARTMENT OF

PRIMARY INDUSTRIES

Brown
Coal
Victoria
Rediscover the Potential

Victoria, Australia
A principal brown coal province
Victoria, Australia offers investors Proven resource potential
the opportunity to develop low-cost The 430 billion tonnes of brown coal located in Victoria
brown coal projects from one of the represents a significant proportion of the world’s brown
coal endowment.
world’s largest, high-quality coal
More than 80 per cent of Victoria’s resource is located in
resources, located close to potential the Gippsland Basin (South East Victoria), with seams in the
carbon capture and storage sites. Latrobe Valley region containing an estimated measured
resource of 65 billion tonnes. Approximately half of this
With an abundance of brown coal occurring in thick seams has been identified as ‘potentially economic’, of this 13
close to the earth’s surface, Victoria is home to one of the billion tonnes are yet to be allocated to prospective
largest and lowest cost energy sources in the world. developers by the Victorian Government.

More recently, rising global energy prices and clean coal

technology developments have created new, non-power Victorian brown coal resources
related investment opportunities for the Victorian brown
coal industry. Total estimated in situ
brown coal in Victoria 430 billion tonnes

Measured brown coal

in the Latrobe Valley 65 billion tonnes

Potentially economic brown

coal in the Latrobe Valley 33 billion tonnes
DEPARTMENT OF
PRIMARY INDUSTRIES

Found near the surface in thick seams, the resource lends non-coal material mined. This combined with the easy
itself to low-cost, large-scale open-cut mining. Brown coal digging characteristics of the coal make it some of the
seams in the Latrobe Valley are up to 100 metres thick, lowest-cost coal in the world.
with multiple seams often giving virtually continuous
Beyond the Gippsland Basin, other brown coal deposits can
brown coal thickness of up to 230 metres. Seams are
be found in the Otway Basin (mainly within the Bacchus
typically located under only 10-20 meters of overburden.
Marsh, Altona and the Anglesea coalfields) and across the
Favourable coal to overburden ratios (between 0.5:1 and Murray Basin1. Access to all sites is subject to the
5:1) in the Latrobe Valley area of the Gippsland Basin appropriate exploration and mining licences.
indicate a high tonnage of coal for every cubic metre of

An overview of Victorian coal resources

Legend

Black coal fields

Brown coal fields

Undefined resource

Basin boundary
Murray Basin

Otway Basin

Gippsland Basin

West Gippsland
Morwell

Traralgon

Moe

Traralgon South - reclaimed area. Photo courtesy of Powerworks 2006 Coal resources inventory, GHD Pty Ltd.
1
Brown coal basics Low rank coal comparative
Victoria’s brown coal is typically low in ash, sulphur, heavy
80
metals and nitrogen, making it very low in impurities by
world standards. However, its high moisture content - which
ranges from 48-70 per cent reduces its effective energy 70
content (average 8.6 MJ/kg on a net wet basis or 26.6 MJ/kg

Moisture content of raw coal W(%)

on a gross dry basis). 60

4
50
Typical Characteristics of Victorian Brown Coal 6

40 8
Energy value (net wet) 5.8 to 11.5 MJ/kg
10
Energy value (gross dry) 25 to 29 MJ/kg
30
12
Overburden thickness 10 to 20 metres
14
20
Strip ratio (coal: overburden) 0.5:1 to 5:1 16

Water 48 – 70% 10
18

20
Carbon 65 – 70% 24 22

Oxygen 25 – 30% 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Hydrogen 4 – 5.5% Ash content of raw coal A(%)

Ash <4% Key Latrobe Valley Puentes Spain

Nitrogen <1% Megalopolis Greece Dakota Texas U.S.A

Ptolemais Greece Indonesian Low Rank
Sulphur <1%
Neurath D, Germany Net Specific Energy (MJ/kg)

Source: Allardice Consulting Ltd

Future uses for coal

The high water content and reactivity of Gippsland brown Victorian coal represents a significant opportunity to supply
coal has to date precluded it from coal export. However, energy and other products to the expanding markets of
with the development of new drying, gasification and China and India.
liquefaction technologies, brown coal may have the potential
In addition, recent exploration activity also suggests
for direct export. The coal could be used as feedstock for a
opportunities for coal seam gas (methane) and possibly
variety of exportable commodities (including diesel,
even underground coal gasification industries in Victoria.
fertilisers and methanol – see diagram below).

Opportunities for Diesel

Victorian brown coal Fischer Naphtha
Tropsch Waxes
Liquids Fuel Gas
LPG
Fuel Cells
Chemicals(MTBE, Acetic Acid, Formeldehyde
Diesel, Transport Fuel
Methanol Propylene/Polypropylene
Acrylic Acid/Acrylates
Synthesis Ethylene/Propylene
gas from Fuel/DME
brown coal
Ammonia Fertilisers (Urea)

Hydrogen Power/Fuel
Key reasons to invest in Victoria:
• Victoria has one of the world’s largest brown coal resources
• Brown coal is a low-cost and secure energy source and an alternative to oil, gas and black coal
• Victorian brown coal is low in impurities like ash, sulphur and heavy metals
• Mining costs are low with abundant brown coal resources close to the surface
• Brown coal resources are in close proximity to Australia’s largest potential
carbon capture and storage sites in Bass Strait
• The Victorian Government is committed to investing in and facilitating
clean coal technology research and development
• A highly-integrated infrastructure and competitive energy costs
• Low sovereign risk and economic stability providing security
to investors
• A skilled workforce and established mining services sector.

Melbourne

DPI offers advice and information If you would like to receive this information/ publication in an
accessible format (such as large print or audio) please call the
to assist investors Customer Service Centre on 136 186.
DPI provides the following services to potential investors
in coal: Published by: Department of Primary Industries,
1 Spring Street, Victoria 3000, Australia, August, 2008.
• Free access to DPI’s knowledge, advice and expertise
in relation to approvals processes and the business © The State of Victoria, 2008. This publication is copyright.
No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance
environment with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.
• A comprehensive inventory of Victorian coal resources, Authorised by: Victorian Government,
including quantity and quality data, and a three- 1 Spring Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
dimensional-model of the Latrobe Valley’s coalfields. ISBN 978-1-74199-834-4 (print)
Mapped Victorian coal data is accessible through GeoVic’s ISBN 978-1-74199-835-1 (PDF)
Explore Victoria Online tool: www.dpi.vic.gov.au Disclaimer - This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of
Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without
• Coal inventory reports outlining all available coal data
flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and
www.dpi.vic.gov.au therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence
which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication.

DPI would like to thank Loy Yang Power for facilitating photography.
For further information contact:
Cliff Kavonic
Director, Business Development and Technology www.dpi.vic.gov.au/minpet
T: +61 3 9658 4405
F: +61 3 9658 4499
E: [email protected]

Sean Rooney
Development Manager, Coal
T: +61 3 9658 4739
F: +61 3 9658 4499
E: [email protected]