Matla Coal Mine
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Matla Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Kriel, Nkangala, Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Matla Coal Mine | Kriel, Nkangala, Mpumalanga, South Africa[1] | -26.26345, 29.12681 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating[1] | – | 1976 | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | 6.16[2] | 2022[2] | Underground[1] | Mixed[1] | 234.94[1] | 100 | 2500[3] |
Table 4: Coal resources and destination
| Total Reserves (Mt) | Year of Total Reserves Recorded | Total Resources (Mt) | Coalfield | Coal Type | Coal Grade | Primary Consumer/ Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 167[1] | 2022[1] | 835[1] | Highveld[1] | Bituminous | Thermal[1] | Matla power station[1] |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Exxaro Coal Mpumalanga Pty Ltd[4] | Exxaro Resources | South Africa |
Expansion/Extension
Table 6: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Project Type | Project Phase | Added Capacity (Mtpa)* | Start Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed[5] | Construction[2] | Expansion[5] | – | 4[2] | 2025 (planned)[2] |
Note: The above section was automatically generated and is based on data from the GEM April 2024 Global Coal Mine Tracker dataset.
Background
The Matla mine is a mining complex comprised of three underground coal mines owned and operated by Exxaro Resources 15 kilometers west of Kriel in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.[6]
Exxaro has proposed a 4 million tonne expansion project to enable the mine to produce 10 million tonnes.[7] It expects this project to be complete in the second half of 2025.[8] The Matla mine area has been exploited since the mid-1970s, and a significant amount of exploration and extraction activities have been conducted at the mine.[9] From 1976 to 1990, the mine was owned by Trans Natal Mines. Construction began in 1976, with full production in 1983 and 465 boreholes drilled in this period.[9] In 1990, the mine came to be opened by Eyesizwe Coal (now Exxaro) which took over ownership from Trans Natal Mines with >2,060 boreholes drilled in this period.[9]
Today, the mine is currently owned by Exxaro, and is comprised of three operations — Matla 1, Matla 2, Matla 3 — that provide coal via conveyor belt to the Matla Power Station. Previously, the mines had the capacity to produce a collective 14 million tons of coal per year (Mtpa).[6] However, in 2016, one of the mine's three operations, Matla 1, went into care and maintenance due to safety concerns. When the decision to stop mining Matla 1 was made, it meant the Matla complex could only supply about 6 Mtpa of coal to the power station via Mines 2 and 3.[10]
While Matla was previously "a fully mechanised underground mine employing continuous mining and shortwall methods, geological conditions to support shortwall mining are fast coming to an end, and the remaining coal reserves will need to be mined using continuous mining methods.[11][12]
Expansion
The Matla Mine 1 relocation project involves the construction of a new decline shaft to gain access to the remaining economical 2-seam reserves. The relocation project also includes plans to supply Mine 1 with five complete suites of underground continuous miner equipment and equipment used to construct supporting infrastructure, interseams between Mine 2 and Mine 3, and a ventilation shaft to supply fresh air to Mine 3’s future production areas.[13]
According to project lead, John Mayer,
- "After 42 years, Matla 1’s shaft is too far away from a safety point of view. It took nearly half a shift just to get the workers to the mining face. So, the purpose of the relocation is primarily a safety one and also ensuring that we can get workers and equipment closer to the mining phase to do the work."[10]
The Matla Mine 1 relocation project commenced in August 2020 and is expected to be completed during the second half of 2025.[14][8]
- Operator: Exxaro Resources
- Owner: Exxaro
- Location: Near Kriel, in Emalahleni Municipality, Nkangala District, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
- GPS Coordinates: -26.26345, 29.12681 (exact)
- Status: Operating
- Production: 6.16 Mtpa (2022)
- Total Resource: 847 million tonnes[15]
- Mineable Reserves: 162 million tonnes[15]
- Coal Type: Thermal[16]
- Mine Size: 23,494 hectares (mine lease area)[15]
- Mine Type: Underground, continuous and shortwall
- Start Year: 1976[9]
- Source of Financing:
Expansion Project Details
- Status: Proposed
- Capacity: 4 million tonnes[10]
- Mineable Reserves:
- Start Year: 2025 (expected)
- Source of Financing: Eksom[10]
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 https://investor.exxaro.com/integrated-reports2022/cmrr/matla.php.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 (PDF) https://investor.exxaro.com/integrated-reports2022/pdf/exxaro-ir-2022.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240121002157/https://www.exxaro.com/operations/where-we-operate/?location=matla. Archived from the original on 21 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20240125050657/https://exxaro-prod.azureedge.net/sitestorage/media/ndpkfoht/information-statement_bond_june_2022.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://www.exxaro.com/operations/mega-projects/matla-mine-1-relocation/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 Where We Operate: Matla, Exxaro website, accessed September 2022.
- ↑ Integrated Assessment Report, Exxaro, company website, accessed June 2022.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Exxaro Resources Limited Integrated Report 2022, Exxaro, Accessed October 2023.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "Consolidated Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves report 2019," Exxaro Resources Limited, 2019.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 "Matla 1 relocation: A breakthrough for South Africa's power supply", Mining Review Africa, 9 Dec. 2020.
- ↑ "Matla", Exxaro website, accessed May 2010.
- ↑ "Project Overview: Matla Mine 1 Relocation", Exxaro website, accessed September 2022.
- ↑ "Exxaro's Matla Mine 1 Relocation Project underway", International Mining, 21 August 2020.
- ↑ "Matla mine relocation", Exxaro website, 13 Jan. 2021.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Exxaro Resources Limited Consolidated Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves Report 2021, Exxaro website, accessed September 2022.
- ↑ "Performance at a Glance," Exxaro website, accessed August 2020.
