[miningmx.com] — PETMIN has signed a renewable five-year agreement to export up to 600,000 tonnes of metallurgical anthracite per year from the Grindrod Terminals Kusasa dry bulk facility in Richards Bay, the company announced on Wednesday.
The agreement, effective from 1 February 2012, gives Petmin the capacity to ship its expanded anthracite production from the Somkhele mine 85km north of Richards Bay.
Under the terms of the agreement, Petmin has been allocated 45,000 tonnes of exclusive stockpile and an indicated vessel loading rate of 12,000 tonnes per day.
The facility replaces Petmin’s previous throughput arrangements at Richards Bay.
Somkhele is increasing production from its current 535,000 sales tonnes per annum to in excess of 1.2m tonnes annually.
Anthracite produced by Somkhele is transported by road from Somkhele to Richards Bay, and to domestic customers.
