Reuters reported that global miner Anglo American has exported the first shipment from the USD 1 billion Kolomela iron ore mine in South Africa one of its key growth projects putting the mine ahead of schedule and on track to achieve full production by 2013.

The miner said Kolomela one of the projects expected to drive organic volume growth for Anglo has been commissioned five months ahead of schedule and on budget.

Mr Chris Griffith CEO of Anglo American Kumba Iron Ore business said "The first shipment of 100,000 tonnes of Kolomela lump ore left the port of Saldanha on 19 December 2011."

He said that "The commissioning of the Kolomela project is in line with our growth strategy of ramping our South African production up to 70 million tonnes per year by 2019."

Kolomela had been expected to deliver initial production at the end of the first half of 2012.

(Sourced from Reuters)