Yancoal has delivered record quarterly attributable saleable coal production after its operations lifted output by 20 per cent during the June quarter.
The coal producer generated 10.8 million tonnes (Mt) of attributable saleable coal, up from 9Mt in the March quarter and 15 per cent higher than the same period in 2025.
The result took first-half attributable saleable production to a record 19.8Mt, five per cent ahead of the previous corresponding period.
“Collectively, our operations are performing well; we delivered a first-half production record over the past six months: 19.8Mt of attributable saleable coal production,” Yancoal chief executive officer Sharif Burra said.
“This is 5 per cent ahead of 2025, putting us on target to exceed last year’s record production and deliver in the upper half of the 2026 guidance range.”
The production lift followed a planned shift from waste removal to coal mining at Yancoal’s open-cut operations.
Saleable production rose 23 per cent quarter-on-quarter at Moolarben in New South Wales, and 34 per cent at Mount Thorley Warkworth, where improved equipment reliability supported higher output.
Yarrabee recorded the largest proportional increase, lifting production by 75 per cent, and Hunter Valley Operations maintained its March-quarter production level of 3.7Mt.
Yancoal expects to cease operations at Ashton from early 2028 due to technical, geotechnical and economic challenges, with development activities set to conclude in early 2027 before longwall mining finishes the following year.
Attributable coal sales climbed 41 per cent quarter-on-quarter to 11.6Mt, including 9.8Mt of thermal coal and 1.8Mt of metallurgical coal.
The company achieved an average realised coal price of $160 per tonne, nine per cent above the March quarter. Its realised thermal coal price increased 11 per cent to $149 per tonne, while metallurgical coal rose three per cent to $219 per tonne.
Yancoal also progressed its proposed acquisition of an 80 per cent interest in Queensland’s Kestrel coal mine, securing Foreign Investment Review Board approval ahead of targeted completion towards the end of the September quarter.
“Adding a large, long-life asset that produces hard-coking coal at strong margins is a compelling step forward in Yancoal’s growth strategy,” Burra said.
Yancoal retained its 2026 guidance of 36.5–40.5Mt of attributable saleable production, with output expected in the upper half of that range. The company closed the quarter with a $2.01 billion cash balance.
