What is metallurgical coal?

Prehistoric

Energy

Heavy machinery

Steel
How is metallurgical coal used?

Construction
Most buildings, bridges and other key infrastructure projects around the world all have one thing in common - they are built with steel made from iron ore and met coal powered blast furnaces.

Transport
Every mode of transportation relies on the steel that’s produced from iron ore and met coal. That includes planes, trains, ships, trucks and cars.

Household appliances
You’ll find steel in everyday household appliances like your ovens, fridges and cutlery.
How is steel made?

Creating coke

Blast furnace

Converting to a liquid

Molten steel
Where is metallurgical coal found?

Queensland
Queensland Coal comprises the seven BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) assets in Australia's Bowen Basin region of central Queensland.

Think steel
When the world's cities grow, Australia grows too.
As one of the world’s largest producers of iron ore, we’re helping you get to where you need to be.
How is metallurgical coal mined?
Underground
At our Broadmeadow mine in Central Queensland, coal is mined by a longwall shearer deep underground. The coal is then transported to the surface on a conveyor belt and stockpiled. Impurities are removed through washing and treatment at a coal handling and preparation plant. It’s then transported by train to port, loaded onto ships and exported to our customers.
Open cut
At our open cut mines, we extract coal from seams relatively close to the surface. We blast and remove the surface layers of soil and rock to expose the coal, which we then mine using excavators, draglines, shovels and trucks. Impurities are then removed, before being transported by train to port, loaded onto ships and exported to our customers.
Where is our metallurgical coal exported to?