Mining Intelligence and News
South Africa

Khwezela South (Kleinkopje) Mine

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Coal (thermal)
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
  • Dragline
Production Start... Lock
SnapshotThe Khwezela South is a part of the Khwezela Colliery Operations.

Khwezela South (formerly known as Kleinkopje) consists of the Bokgoni 2A pit and the Mineral Residue Deposit (MRD) (also known as Landau 3), both of which were placed on care and maintenance in the first quarter of 2021.

Since then, coal that is mined at Khwezela South from the declared resources outside of the mine plan (RoMP) is trucked to Isibonelo Colliery, where it is blended with in-pit coal at a ratio of 1:6, and then sold to Sasol Synfuels Operations.
Related AssetKhwezela Operation

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Thungela Resources Limited 90 % Indirect
Thungela Resources Limited holds 90% of the Khwezela Colliery in South Africa with the remaining 10% held collectively by an employee partnership plan and a community partnership plan.

Deposit type

  • Sedimentary

Summary:

Khwezela South is located in the Witbank Coalfield where five coal seams are present. These consist of, from bottom, the No 1 Seam, sequentially to the No 5 Seam at the top and are all, with the exception of the No 3 Seam, part of the resource base. A small graben with a 10m throw lies to the northeast of the Bokgoni 2A pit. No major dolerite intrusions have been encountered.

The No 1 Seam averages 2.0 to 2.5 m in thickness and is generally of good quality, able to produce a steam coal of 27.40 MJ/kg at yields greater than 60%. The Number 1 Seam Roof (S1R) coal is of lower grade with lower yields and is only mined when the No 1 Seam is destined for the local power station market. In places, the seam may be too thin to mine.

The P1 parting between the No 2 and No 1 Seams is between 1.5 and 4.0 m thick and consists of sandstone. The No 2 Seam is developed over almost the entire Bokgoni area, subcropping to the north of the Bokgoni Pit. The seam varies in thickness from five to eight metres, averaging six metres. The seam is subdivided into subseams, generally based on quality. The highest quality coal occurs in the middle of the seam (the S2S), with duller coal above and below it.

The No 3 Seam, although of good quality, is thin (approximately 30 cm) and has not been mined; it is used as a marker horizon. The quality of the No 4 Seam is highly variable across Bokgoni, with poorer quality coal in the west where the P4L parting occurs. The thin, upper portion of the seam (the S4) is of a higher quality, while the lower split below the parting, is of poorer quality. Higher grade coal is found in the east. The average seam thickness is 2.2 m.

The No 5 Seam is on average, 1.5 m thick and is found in the deeper areas of Bokgoni.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

Summary:

The Bokgoni 2A pit and the Khwezela Mineral Residue Deposit (MRD) comprise the Khwezela South section. The Bokgoni Pits has a Bokgoni Coal Handling Preparation Plant (CHPP). It treats the better quality coal from a number of seams to produce an export coal of 6 000 kcal/kg NCVAR and treats roof coal or Mineral Residue Deposit (MRD) material to produce a middlings coal of 5 100 kcal/kg NCVAR.

No coal processing has taken place at the Bokgoni CHPP since the mine was placed on care and maintenance in 2021.

Coal that is mined at Khwezela South from the declared resources outside of the mine plan (RoMP) is trucked to Isibonelo Colliery, where it is blended with in-pit coal at a ratio of 1:6, and then sold to Sasol Synfuels Operations.

Production

The Bokgoni 2A pit and the Khwezela Mineral Residue Deposit (MRD) comprise the Khwezela South section, and have been in care and maintenance since 2021.

Coal that is mined at Khwezela South from the declared resources outside of the mine plan (RoMP) is trucked to Isibonelo Colliery, where it is blended with in-pit coal at a ratio of 1:6, and then sold to Sasol Synfuels Operations.
CommodityUnits20162015
Coal (thermal) t 3,867,9003,152,300
All production numbers are expressed as clean coal.

Operational metrics

Metrics202320222021
Coal tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 21, 2024

Aerial view:

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