The 2000 Mt Wintinna coal deposit is located approximately 700 km north-northwest of Port Augusta in South Australia. The area has opencut potential, and is proposed for development to supply a thermal power station. Meekatharra Minerals Ltd holds tenure (as exploration licences) over the resources defined. The deposit comprises Permian sub-bituminous coal measures which are flat-lying and relatively undeformed. Ten persistent seams have been correlated within the proposed mine area to give an average cumulative coal thickness of 25 m within a bounding stratigraphic interval thickness of 35-70 m. The depth to top of coal ranges from 145 to 220 m, with the sequence of overburden being composed essentially of shales, sandstones, siltstones and some poorly consolidated sandstones. The average in situ coal quality in the mining area, at 38% total moisture, is 6.5% ash; 23.3% volatile matter; 17.2 MJ/kg specific energy; and 1.08% total sulphur. Delivered coal quality is assumed to be 35% moisture, 10% ash and a lowered heating value of 15.75 MJ/kg. However, Meekatharra have also reported that coal sample drying data obtained from independent NATA - registered testing laboratories have confirmed that Permian Wintinna coal, over time, dries naturally to less than 20% moisture. Accepting this, in 1984 Meekatharra submitted a coal supply proposal to the Coal Review Group of the South Australian state government's Future Energy Action Committee. This proposal included submissions for fuel provision sufficient to supply the needs of 500, 750 and 1000 MW power stations. No further geological investigations or interpretations have been carried out for Wintinna since this work done in 1984. The current mining study has been commissioned by Meekatharra to: - update cost estimates to current values; - incorporate a single, revised burning schedule; - utilise mining equipment surplus to requirements from the Leigh Creek mine; - revise all operating conditions and parameters to reflect current industry standards; and - develop a production and cost scenario which approximates the optimal strategy and which will allow sensitivity analyses to be undertaken subsequent to this study.