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MINING | Universal Coal | ASX
Resource Global Network
Taking its thermal coal production to the next level
MINING | Universal Coal | ASX
Universal Coal has passed a number of significant milestones since RGN last touched base with the ASX-listed miner towards the end of 2016. At that point, the company had started underground operations at its 2nd South African mine – the New Clydesdale Colliery (NCC), which joined its existing Kangala facility in the Witbank coalfield of Mpumalanga province. By January 2017, Universal commenced open pit production at NCC before reaching nameplate capacity in the second half of the year. This milestone was sandwiched between the signing of a supply deal with Eskom and the pay out of its maiden shareholder dividend in October 2017, a clear illustration of the progress made by the company last year. The end of 2016 was marked by the finalising of a long-term coal supply agreement with Eskom, which provided a solid platform for Universal to plough ahead with the open pit development at NCC. Under the deal, Universal will supply South Africa’s biggest power utility company with 1.2 million tonnes (Mt) of coal per year for seven years, primarily from the NCC deposit, with the first batch successfully delivered to Eskom in Q2 2017.
Resource Global Network Universal already has in place an eight-year supply deal with Eskom for output from the Kangala mine, which was signed back in March 2013, however it was crucial for the company to seal a similar agreement that established a dependable buyer for the coal produced at NCC.
Nameplate at NCC Just two months after the Eskom deal was announced, the open pit section of NCC commenced production. Progress continued at a rapid rate over the subsequent months until nameplate capacity was reached in the third quarter of the calendar year. “On the underground section we hit the tonnage [targets] pretty early on in 2016. The open pit has obviously had a significantly greater impact on the total output figures,” says CEO Tony Weber. “We are now hitting those tonnages that we were looking at, which is North of 200,000 tonnes a month at the open pit. Effectively between the underground and the open pit we are doing roughly 300,000 tonnes a month, which has achieved nameplate capacity.” In fact, at the current annualised run rate of close to 2Mt, the colliery is exceeding the tonnages required by Universal’s customers, with 650,000 tonnes heading to the export market annually and 1.2Mt going to Eskom. The prospect of surplus saleable coal from NCC is a welcome one for the company and
MINING | Universal Coal | ASX
another sign of progression at the mine
sales annualised. This figure represents a
which only reached steady state production
significant degree of growth over a short time
in H2 2017.
according to Weber.
Taking into account the Kangala colliery,
This impressive annualised output level is not
which began producing run-of-mine coal
just a product of the open pit facility at NCC
in April 2014, the company’s current
coming online, but also thanks to Kangala
total run rate stands at around 4.5Mt of
running at 12% above nameplate – another
Resource Global Network
MINING | Universal Coal | ASX
remarkable achievement of a stellar 12
opportunity and is another really good
months.
success story.”
“At Kangala we are running at about 200,000
Multi-mine production
a month at the moment, which is annualised
The combined achievements at Kangala
at 2.5Mt,” reports Weber. “That’s pretty
and NCC over the last year represents the
much the limit of what we can squeeze it
realisation of a long-term vision for Weber
to in its present state, although we recently
and Universal of achieving multi-mine
bought 80% of the adjoining Eloff block. This
production, but the company is not resting
acquisition gives us an exponential expansion
on its laurels.
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“These two mines are now fully fledged and
opportunities in terms of acquisitions.
up and running, so we have achieved multimine production, but obviously this is not
“So we are looking at further expansion, but
where we intend to stop.
having said that we also paid our maiden dividend and I think that’s a big ticket item for
“There are opportunities to expand,
2017.
especially at Kangala and opportunities to develop further operations like the Eloff
“We paid a 1 cent dividend and declared
project and also additional brownfields
that it’s over a 6% return on equity from an
ResourceGlobal GlobalNetwork Network Resource
MINING | Universal Coal | ASX
investor point of view and we don’t intend
doesn’t stop here for Universal, with another
this to be our last dividend in any shape or
significant ramp up in its production
form. We want to be regular payers giving
trajectory targeted over the course of 2018-
something back to our shareholders but also
19.
continuing to grow the company.” As already highlighted, the hard work
Brakfontein and Eloff The company is ready to proceed on its third
Resource Global Network
project, the Brakfontein coal mine in Delmas, “Having got all the permitting in pace at Mpumalanga, having received full licencing
Brakfontein, it’s really now about getting
for the development.
marketing agreements in place for the coal,” Weber stresses.
Brakfontein hosts a JORC 2012 mineral resource of 75.8Mt inclusive of a proven ore
“We have looked at doing this early next
reserve of 9.1Mt.
financial year.”
MINING | Universal Coal | ASX
Australian Business Network
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Resource Global Network
First production from Brakfontein is set to
increased tonnage projections for 2018-19,
be achieved in 2018, bringing to fruition a
along with increased output from Kangala.
project which has been in the pipeline since Q4 2014 and which has guided Universal’s
The Eloff acquisition presents Universal
MINING | Universal Coal | ASX
SSMS_Quarter advert_121x95mm_Sept 2017_Final.pdf
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with a significant expansion opportunity on one of its existing properties, owing to the fact that it lies adjacent to Kangala. With infrastructure already in place, the brownfields expansion will provide a low cost pathway to the long-term
C
development of Kangala, as even on
M
Y
current production rates there is life
CM
well in excess of 40 years on the historic
MY
resources at Eloff, says Weber.
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CMY
K
“There is substantial upside potential when you do these kinds of expansions, in terms of bringing value back to the company and we will continue to develop along those lines, creating nodal points excellence in execution
and expanding on the back of those.�
Resource Global Network
Over the next six months Universal will
value accretive growth, while we continue to
look to continue delivering and exceeding
look after all stakeholders, including in the
its promises, chiefly aiming to maintain
communities.
production levels at the 4.5Mt mark in order to satisfy its contractual agreements with
“We often don’t state this, but we plough
Eskom and the export market.
significantly back into the community at Kangala. It’s not just looking after
“Overall, the standout point for us is that
shareholders and employees but looking
we’ve delivered on what we said we were
after all stakeholders. It’s about all the people
going to deliver. We said we were going to
around you.”
become a multi-mine producer and after that we said we would reward shareholders and we’ve done both of those,” Weber assets. “It’s not just about seeking growth, but finding
b j
Published by Anderson Murray Media Ltd
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