en.Wedoany.com Reported - Yancoal Australia's attributable saleable coal production in the June quarter rose 20% quarter-on-quarter to a record 10.8 million tonnes, 15% higher than the same period in 2025.

The coal producer's data showed production of 9 million tonnes in the March quarter. Attributable saleable production for the first half of the year reached a record 19.8 million tonnes, 5% higher than the corresponding period.

Yancoal Australia CEO Sharif Burra said operational performance over the past six months was strong, achieving a first-half production record of 19.8 million tonnes of attributable saleable coal, 5% higher than 2025, positioning the company to surpass last year's production record and reach the upper half of the 2026 guidance range.

The production increase followed a planned shift from waste stripping to coal mining. At the Moolarben mine in New South Wales, saleable production rose 23% quarter-on-quarter, while Mount Thorley Warkworth mine increased by 34%, supported by improved equipment reliability. Yarrabee mine recorded the largest percentage increase, with production up 75%, and Hunter Valley Operations maintained the March quarter production level of 3.7 million tonnes.

Due to technical, geotechnical, and economic challenges, Yancoal Australia expects to cease operations at the Ashton mine from early 2028, with development activities ending in early 2027, followed by longwall mining completion the following year.

Attributable coal sales rose 41% quarter-on-quarter to 11.6 million tonnes, including 9.8 million tonnes of thermal coal and 1.8 million tonnes of metallurgical coal. The company achieved an average realized coal price of A$160 per tonne, 9% higher than the March quarter. Its thermal coal realized price rose 11% to A$149 per tonne, while metallurgical coal rose 3% to A$219 per tonne.

Yancoal Australia also advanced its proposed acquisition of an 80% interest in Queensland's Kestrel coal mine, securing approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board ahead of the target completion at the end of the September quarter. Burra said adding a large, long-life asset producing hard coking coal with strong margins was a compelling step in Yancoal Australia's growth strategy.

Yancoal Australia maintained its 2026 guidance of 36.5 million to 40.5 million tonnes of attributable saleable production, with output expected to be in the upper half of the range. The company's quarter-end cash balance was A$2.01 billion.