Coal-miner Anglo Coal’s Isibonelo Colliery, a R769-million opencast operation, was officially opened on Tuesday. This operation was established following contractual agreements between Anglo Coal and Sasol Mining, in October 2003, to jointly develop the Kriel South reserve area. Construction work began in November 2003 and the official sale and transfer of the business at Sasol’s Syferfontein opencast colliery to Anglo Coal was concluded on April 1, 2005. The first coal was supplied to Sasol’s Synthetic Fuels on July 1. The colliery is located some 120 km due east of Johannesburg, 60 km south of Witbank and 13 km east of Secunda.

Anglo Coal committed to establishing the opencast operation, which would supply more than five million tons of thermal coal a year to the SSF Plant in Secunda over a 20 year period, with a total estimated production of 200-million tons. Sasol’s investment amounts to R320-million. To date, the colliery has supplied over two million sales tons to Sasol and has set a target of 4.5 million tons for the end of the year. The mine will reach full production of five million tons by 2007.

“Today marks the culmination of years of effort and teamwork, by many people, across a large number of organizations, activities and disciplines,” said Isibonelo GM Mr Clive Ritchie.

Sasol CEO Mr Pat Davies said that Sasol was pleased to partner with Anglo Coal in this venture, which would secure guaranteed additional coal supply to the company’s Secunda Synfuels operation. “We look forward to growing future cooperation with Anglo Coal and are impressed by the speed at which, and the professionalism by which, the supply agreement and establishment of Isibonelo Colliery came to being,” he said.