Modern Mining November 2015

COAL

Dusk at the main DMS circuit of the 500 t/h 4- and 2-Seam coal handling and processing plant (CHPP) at Vanggatfontein.

Keaton Energy’s flagship mine

JSE-listed Keaton Energy (Keaton) has not been without challenges over the past year, most notably the widespread corruption it uncovered at its Vaalkrantz colliery in KZN, but CEO Mandi Glad is upbeat about the company’s current performance, saying that its flagship opera- tion, the Vanggatfontein open-pit coal mine 15 km east of Delmas, is “running like a dream”. She told Modern Mining recently that it was delivering consistent volumes and qualities and – with at least a 17-year life ahead – would underpin Keaton for years to come.

C ommissioned in 2010 and now working at steady-state, Vang- gatfontein delivered 2,28 Mt of washed 2- and 4-Seam thermal coal to its primary customer, Es- kom, in its 2015 financial year (to 31 March 2015), up 4 % on the previous year and its biggest yearly output yet. It also produced just over 126 000 tonnes of 5-Seam coal for the do- mestic metallurgical market, a full 29 % up on the figure for FY 2014. The continuing good performance of the mine was confirmed in Keaton’s recently released first half (to 30 Sep- tember 2015) production update, which saw the mine producing 1,19 Mt of thermal coal for Eskom over the six-month period. “Vanggatfontein is a superb operation,” says Glad. “Our two wash plants – we have a 500 t/h plant for the thermal coal and a 100 t/h facil- ity for the 5-Seam product – are both working extremely well while the mining operation, which is being undertaken by Liviero Mining, is running very efficiently. I must in fact compli- ment Livierio. They took over from a previous

Mandi Glad, CEO of Keaton Energy.

contractor roughly three years ago and that, in retrospect, was probably the turning point for the mine.” She adds that Vanggatfontein also has a highly competent Mine Manager, Isak Nkosi, who has been with the operation since it started up. Nkosi learnt his mining at Glisa colliery (part of Exxaro’s North Bank Complex) and Glad rates him as one of the top men in the country in terms of the management of open-pit mining operations. Under his direction, Vanggatfontein has enjoyed an excellent safety record and (as

22  MODERN MINING  November 2015