[miningmx.com] – KEATON Energy lifted coal production in the first nine months of its financial year at its Vanggatfontein and Vaalkrantz mines in line with the firm’s objective of recording steady progress after a period of stabilisation.
“As we told the market, this will be a year of sustained performance at Vanggatfontein – consistent production of coal and cash generation from this long-life colliery,’ said Mandi Glad, CEO of Keaton Energy, in an announcement to the JSE.
Vanggatfontein delivered 540,127 tonnes of washed 2- and 4-seam thermal coal to Eskom in the firm’s third quarter – a 3.7% increase year-on-year – and taking deliveries for the first nine months to Eskom to 1.74 million tonnes (mt), a 4.4% annual lift.
Metallurgical coal from Vanggatfontein was higher in the first nine months at Vanggatfontein, but the stand-out peformance has been the improvement at Vaalkrantz which has difficult geology making consistent mining difficult.
Vaalkrantz Colliery sold 79,662t of anthracite to local and export customers during the quarter, an increase of 29.5% over the corresponding period.
Sales for the first nine months of the year were 271,560t, an increase of 25.9% over the corresponding period last year, the company said.
