Please attribute to a spokesperson for Anglo American:
“Following a change in underground conditions at Moranbah North Mine on 20 February, we undertook a controlled withdrawal of our people as a safety precaution in accordance with our procedures.
“Conditions underground are normalising in response to the measures being taken.
“The trigger for the underground withdrawal was elevated levels of some gases in the goaf, which would indicate a coal heating issue and an overpressure event*. We have internal and external experts assessing various information sources in order to more accurately determine the cause of the event.**
“At the time of the incident, we had been mining through some particularly challenging geology and every precaution was being taken.
“The conclusions from the expert review of the incident will inform a comprehensive risk assessment prior to re-entry, which will require regulatory approval.
“The safety of our workforce remains our priority and we are keeping them closely informed.”
Notes for journalists:
*The goaf is the area behind the longwall area that caves in behind the face post-mining. An over pressure event is a change in ventilation on the face.
**There is no evidence that an explosion occurred and methane levels on the longwall were well within the regulatory levels.