In the Wolvekrans area, sandstone filled fluvial channels are prominent below the No.5 Seam through to the No.2 Seam. In the Douglas area, a prominent fluvial sandstone channel is developed between No.2 Seam and No.2A Seam. Running in a north south direction it has affected the remaining No.2 Seam resource in the Douglas mining area. The No.2 Seam is generally thinner along the channel and intra-seam partings affect coal quality in the channel-affected area.

Coal seams at Wolvekrans-Middelburg Complex (WMC) are associated with glacio-fluvial and upper deltaic plain sedimentation. The main seams of economic importance include the No.4L, No.2 and No.1 Seams, which are generally thick and laterally continuous.

No.5 Seam (0 to 2 m) is the uppermost seam and is discontinuous mainly due to weathering. The relatively thin No.5 Seam was deposited during a short period of peat accumulation in a relatively unstable basin. The seam is of good coal quality but often friable. The average thickness were fully developed ranges between 1.5 m and 2.0 m. Only isolated small areas remain at Wolvekrans where the No.5 Seam is adequately developed to be considered for mining.

No.4L Seam (0.5 to 5 m) is present across most of the WMV area and is overlain by two lesser seams, firstly the poor quality No.4U Seam (No.4U excluded from Coal Resources), and secondly the good quality but thin No.4UA Seam. The No.4L Seam follows the No.2 Seam in economic importance at Wolv ........

The mines are divided into nine main sections, with mining at both consisting of opencast operations with coal extracted by dragline and truck and shovel at a peak combined production rate of approximately 26.4 Mtpa ROM coal.

Mining is carried out at Wolvekrans and Middelburg using open cut mining methods, comprising a mix of dragline and truck/shovel. The mining areas are divided into pits of varying shapes with the pit configuration based on economic parameters and other drivers, such as surface infrastructure and environmental constraints.

Wolvekrans is the result of the merger of five different collieries within mining in its current configuration having commenced in 2010.

The No.1, No.2 and No.4 Seams throughout much of the mining area have been previously mined as part of underground operations by a bord and pillar method at the old Douglas underground mine. Remnants of these seams are now being recovered as part of the proposed open cut operations.

Coal mining is primarily carried out by Cat 994 loader and Cat 789 rear dump haul trucks. This equipment is considered suitably sized in order to extract coal seams of at least 1 m in thickness. Unlike excavators, loaders also work the coal seam from the floor, and are suited to a process where equipment is not placed on top of the coal.

Middelburg pits are typically very shallow and so the dragline can excavate the necessary depth to uncover the coal seam. As such, ........

Production from the Wolvekrans-Middelburg Complex (“WMC”) is reliant on SAEC Coal Processing (“BCP”) comprising five coal beneficiation plants; North Export, North Middlings, South Eskom, South Export and VDD mobile crusher, which are wholly owned and operated by SAEC.

Beneficiation facilities: tips and crushing plants, 2 export wash plants, middlings wash plant, de-stone plant. Nominal capacity in excess of 17 Mtpa.

Total coal beneficiation processes approximately 21 Mtpa ROM coal and 6 Mtpa of dump material across the mine complex.

The North Plant consists of a coal washing and middlings plant, with slurry, discard and reject as residue. The coal beneficiation plant washes approximately 8.2 Mtpa ROM to a product ash content of 16.3 per cent (adb). Coal is supplied to the plant from Middelburg Mine’s Goedehoop and Hartebeestfontein and Klipfontein operations (via an overland conveyor). The coal is crushed, washed and transported to the rapid loadout r ........