Quick Answer
Hail Creek Mine is a large open-cut coking coal mine in the northern Bowen Basin, located around 120km west of Mackay in Central Queensland. Key facts:
- Operator: Glencore (100%) since acquiring the mine from Rio Tinto in 2018
- Location: ~120km west of Mackay, near Nebo, QLD
- Product: hard coking coal and thermal coal, exported through DBCT and Hay Point
- Workforce: employees + a large contractor base for mining services, maintenance and shutdowns
- Accommodation: Hail Creek Village (on-site camp) plus commuter workforce from Nebo, Moranbah and Mackay
Where Hail Creek Mine is located
Hail Creek is in the northern Bowen Basin, roughly 120km west of Mackay and around 80km north-east of Moranbah, off the Suttor Developmental Road near Nebo. It sits in the Isaac Regional Council area — the heart of Queensland's coking coal country.
Who owns and operates Hail Creek
Glencore has been the 100% owner and operator of Hail Creek since 2018, when it acquired Rio Tinto's stake. Before that it was a Rio Tinto–operated joint venture with Nippon Steel, Marubeni and Sumisho. Today the mine is fully integrated into Glencore's Queensland coal portfolio.
What Hail Creek produces
Hail Creek produces hard coking coal for steelmaking, plus a smaller thermal coal by-product. Coal is trucked and railed to Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal (DBCT) and Hay Point for export to Asian steel mills.
Contractor workforce at Hail Creek
Hail Creek runs with a mix of Glencore employees and a large contractor workforce covering mining services, HME maintenance, drill and blast, tyres, CHPP maintenance, civils and shutdown scopes. Major mining services contractors and OEMs (Komatsu, Caterpillar/Hastings Deering) all have footprint on site.
Accommodation and access
Hail Creek Village is the on-site accommodation camp, with wet mess, gym and recreation. Many workers also commute in from Nebo, Moranbah and Mackay. Access is via light-vehicle only past a Glencore-controlled gatehouse — inductions, medicals and site-specific PPE are mandatory.
How to work at Hail Creek as a contractor
Contractors need to be prequalified through Glencore's vendor system (typically Avetta, Rapid Global or Cm3), complete Glencore generic + Hail Creek site-specific induction, hold current standard 11, coal board medical and role-relevant tickets. Shutdown campaigns are usually locked in 6–12 months in advance.
Related reading: Glencore mines in QLD · How to work with Glencore · Goonyella Riverside Mine guide · Bowen Basin mines map · BMA contractor guide.
