Zibulo Colliery falls within the Springs-Witbank Coalfield, that comprises of sediments of the coal-bearing Ecca Group of the Karoo Sequence, which were deposited on an undulating pre-Karoo floor which had a significant influence on the nature, distribution and thickness of many of the sedimentary formations, including the coal seams. Locally the general lithological profile, up to, and including the deepest mine-able coal seam, comprises of soft overburden overlying coal seams 5 (shallowest) to 1 (deepest) (Licebo Environmental and Mining (Pty) Ltd, 2018). Below the No 1 coal seam is the basement, comprising a diamictite of glacial origin (Licebo Environmental and Mining (Pty) Ltd, 2018).

The entire sequence has been extensively intruded by pre-Karoo dolerites (for the regional area). The Ogies dolerite dyke runs in an east-west orientation across the centre of the Zibulo opencast mining area (Licebo Environmental and Mining (Pty) Ltd, 2018). Two other dolerite dyke intrusions were identified on the eastern edge of the project area running in a north to south direction.

Zibulo Colliery consists of two parts, namely an underground development located approximately 25 km South West of Ogies and a small opencast section located immediately North West of Ogies. Zibulo Colliery produces an annual eight million run of mine (ROM) tonnes of export thermal coal, with seven million tonnes per annum coming from its underground sections and the remaining one million tonnes from its opencast pit. Underground operations incorporate bord and pillar continuous miner methods while the contractor-run pit utilises truck and shovel methods.

The Zibulo Colliery opencast operations consist of a single pit operation with a pit length of almost 1 km and is classified as a mini pit. Zibulo Colliery has two active mining cuts, namely the North and East cuts.

Coal mined at the Zibulo Underground Colliery is transported directly to the plant by means of an interconnecting conveyor system, Zibulo Opencast coal is road hauled.

Zibulo is also part of a 16 Mtpa run of mine joint venture washing plant, known as the Phola Coal Processing Plant. The plant (which is already operational) will be fed equally from Zibulo and BECSA’s Klipspruit Colliery.

Coal from Zibulo Colliery is processed at the Phola processing plant – an Anglo American Inyosi Coal/ South 32 Limited joint venture operation. Zibulo Colliery is connected to the Phola Processing Plant by means of the long, undulating and curved overland conveyor which transports 1 650 tons/hour of ROM coal.

The Phola coal washing plant (beneficiation plant) conveyor system. The complexity of the system is due to the joint venture between South 32 Limited and Anglo American Inyosi Coal. The conveyor system feeds coal from both mine sites to the Phola coal washing plant.

The coal washing plant separates the coal into two products, i.e. coal for Eskom consumption and coal for export. From the product stockpiles coal is loaded into unit ........