Results of coal-drilling Surveyor Creek area - southern portion, Newcastle region, New South Wales

This statement supplements Record 1952/3 by H.B. Owen, which recorded the preliminary results of drilling for open-cut coal in the northern part of Portion 11, Ph. Stockrington near Newcastle, N.S.W. A further 33 holes, entailing 3,220 feet of drilling, were sunk in an area of about 430 acres immediately south of the area reported on by Owen. The majority of the holes were drilled into the Borehole Seam: two encountered only the beds below the Borehole Seam, and a number of holes encountered seams which may be the Australasian, Dudley, Yard, and Sandgate Seams. The results of the drilling indicate that the Borehole Seam is not suitable in this area for open-cut mining because of present high quality coal standards; however the lower plies of the seam, averaging 3 feet 6 inches in total thickness may be suitable for underground mining over a limited area of at least 25 acres. Total indicated reserves in this area are only 130,000 long tons (calculated on the basis of 1,500 tons per acre foot); the quality of the coal would be only fair: calorific value of about 11,500 B.Th.U/lb., ash content about 20%, and the coal would have some coking properties. Further drilling may increase this as workable area. It is considered that the preliminary results did not justify extensive prospecting of the Australasian(?), Dudley(?), Yard(?), or Sandgate Seams.

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Published (Metadata Record) 03/03/2026
Last updated 03/03/2026
Organisation Australian Federal Government
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