Whitehaven Coal has delivered a 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter increase in run-of-mine (ROM) coal production, leading the company to exceed its 2024–25 financial year (FY25) production guidance.
Whitehaven produced 10.6 million tonnes (Mt) of ROM production during the June quarter.
Whitehaven’s Queensland operations delivered 5.6Mt of ROM production, a 26 per cent jump from the previous quarter, and its New South Wales operations increased its production by five per cent, delivering 4.9Mt.
The Blackwater mine in Queensland was a standout performer, delivering 4.1Mt of ROM production during the quarter. This is a 27 per cent increase from the March quarter and is its best performance since being brought under Whitehaven’s fold.
Whitehaven produced 39.1Mt of ROM coal for FY25, a 60 per cent increase from FY24. The company credited its success to owning the Daunia and Blackwater mines, previously owned by BHP, for a full year.
“Whitehaven delivered strong operational results in the June quarter, capping off a very strong year in FY25,” Whitehaven managing director and chief executive officer Paul Flynn said.
“We’ve established a solid foundation for our Queensland operations, with FY25 outcomes meeting or exceeding our guidance. In parallel, our New South Wales operations performed well overall, particularly our open-cut mines.”
Whitehaven sold 6Mt of coal during the quarter, with 3.3Mt coming from Queensland and the balance from New South Wales.
The company’s sales for FY25 totalled 26.5Mt, reaching the top end of its guidance.
“Whitehaven is managing well through the current soft pricing environment,” Flynn said.
“Our focus on cost management is reflected in the estimated $139/t (per tonne) cost of coal for FY25, which is better than our cost guidance for the year.”
Whitehaven closed the June quarter with $600 million in net debt after making its first deferred payment of $US500 million ($758 million) to BHP following the acquisition of the Daunia and Blackwater mines.
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