JSE-listed coal company Miranda Minerals said last week that it had completed an environmental-impact assessment (EIA) study into its Uithoek coal project, in KwaZulu-Natal.


The junior coal company would be sub-mitting the study to the Department of Mineral Resources this month.

A mining rights application was sub-mitted and accepted by the former Depart-ment of Minerals and Energy for the group’s Uithoek project, which has a measured resource of 6,7-million tons on site, of which 4,1-million tons is minable by openpit.

“The EIA represents an important step in the process of obtaining the mining rights. The board expects that approval of the mining rights application should take place before the end of 2009,” Miranda said in a statement.

The company also reported that it was making good progress in preparing to move into production at the Sesikhona project, also in KwaZulu-Natal.


“Negotiations on the marketing of the coal as well as with mining contractors are at a sensitive stage. 
“The board will make a further detailed announcement as soon as arrangements have been finalised, which is expected to be before the end of July.”

Further, Miranda has signed a heads of agreement with Dwalalamadwala Mining Resources (DMR) to obtain a 65% stake in NewCoalCo, which will house the DMR prospecting rights over an area of 
1 337 ha.

The DMR prospecting area is contiguous to its existing Sesikhona colliery project, extending it in a westerly direction. Sesikhona’s existing mining licence covers 864 ha.  


Current indications are that the DMR 
prospecting area presents a continuation of the coal horizon to be mined at Sesikhona. This is based on results derived from a total of ten non-discriminatory holes drilled in the past on Goede Geloof 8703, one of the farms in the DMR prospecting area.

Both the top and bottom seams are intersected at depths and seam widths suitable for potential opencast mining, particularly during the crucial initial phases of development.

The company is now embarking on a drilling programme in the DMR prospecting area, using both percussion and core drilling techniques, including wire-line logging of the boreholes, to confirm the continuation of the coal seams throughout the properties  

Miranda’s exploration programme in the Klip River coalfields remains on track, according to the company.

“Miranda Coal is now more strongly positioned than ever to achieve critical mass in KwaZulu-Natal, which makes the upgrade of the three train sidings it has under long-term lease economically viable. By extending and securing its coking coal and anthracite pipeline, Miranda Coal will also be better placed when negotiating offtake and forward sale agreements,” the company concluded.

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