Twistdraai Thubelisha Coal Mine
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Twistdraai Thubelisha Coal Mine is an operating coal mine in Secunda, Gert Sibande, Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Twistdraai Thubelisha Coal Mine | Secunda, Gert Sibande, Mpumalanga, South Africa[1] | -26.4632919, 29.2857112 (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[2] | – | 1980 | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | 7.5[1] | 2025[1] | Underground[3] | Bord and Pillar | 18 | 160 | 1600[4] |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 202[1] | 2025[1] | 496[1] | Highveld[5] | Bituminous[5] | Thermal[6] | Coal Plant |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| Sasol Mining Pty Ltd [100.0%][7][8] | Sasol Ltd | South Africa |
Table 6: Historical production (unit: million tonnes per annum)
| ROM or Saleable | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROM | 7.9[9] | 8.8[10] | 8.7[10] | 7.5[10] | 8.2[2] | 7.3[2] | 7.7[2] | 8.1[6] | 7.5[1] |
Note: The above sections were automatically generated and are based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker August 2026 release.
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
The Twistdraai Thubelisha Colliery is an underground coal mine, operated by Sasol Mining in Secunda, Mpumalanga, South Africa. The Twistdraai mine opened in 1980 to produce coal for Sasol’s Secunda synthesis plant. At that time, there were three original shafts: Twistdraai, Twistdraai East, and Twistdraai West.[11]
- Operator: Sasol Mining
- Owner: Sasol
- Location: Secunda, Municipality of Govan Mbeki, District of Gert Sibande, in Mpumalanga Province.
- GPS Coordinates: -26.4632919, 29.2857112 (exact)
- Status: Operating
- Production: 8.2 million tonnes per annum (2021)[12]
- Total Resource: 629 Mt (2019)[13]
- Mineable Reserves: 260 Mt (2019)[13]
- Coal Type: Bituminous (Thermal)[11][14]
- Mine Size: 18 km2[15]
- Mine Type: Underground, Room-and-Pillar[11]
- Number of Employees: 1600
- Start Year: 1980, 2012 (Thubelisha extension)
- Source of Financing:
Extension
In 2009, Sasol launched a mine replacement program, as some of its mines, including Twistdraai, were approaching the end of their lives and the company wanted to ensure continued supply.[16] Twistdraai was to be replaced with the Thubelisha shaft, which would supply coal to Sasol Synfuels and the export market, in addition to extending the life of the Twistdraai Colliery beyond 2039.[17][18]
In May 2012, Sasol officially inaugurated the Thubelisha Shaft at the Twistdraai Colliery.[18]
Methane Plumes Detected Nearby
Global Energy Monitor researchers analyze satellite-detected methane plumes in order to determine whether they have been observed at or near the site of GEM energy assets. The satellite data provider creates imagery of individual methane plumes and estimates their emission rates at the time of observation. GEM has reviewed many of these plume detections against Google Earth imagery and GEM’s own energy infrastructure tracker data. The following table lists methane plumes which are associated with the energy asset or facility based on distance and manual review. (A full description of the analysis process is available in the Global Methane Emitters Tracker methodology wiki page.)
Table M1: Plume details
| Observation date | Satellite data provider | Location of plume origin | Methane emissions rate | Additional plume information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-10T08:41:23+00 | CarbonMapper, tan20250310t084123c00s4001-A | -26.4574, 29.28104[19] | 930.7357 kg/hr[19] | Mpumalanga Province Methane Observation 2025-03-10, 1 |
| 2025-04-07T08:44:29+00 | CarbonMapper, tan20250407t084429c00s4001-F | -26.4573, 29.28132[19] | 172.0807 kg/hr[19] | Mpumalanga Province Methane Observation 2025-04-07, 3 |
| 2025-04-14T08:45:37+00 | CarbonMapper, tan20250414t084537c00s4001-A | -26.4575, 29.28119[19] | 934.9479 kg/hr[19] | Mpumalanga Province Methane Observation 2025-04-14, 1 |
| 2025-05-05T08:48:10+00 | CarbonMapper, tan20250505t084810c00s4001-C | -26.4571, 29.28132[19] | 438.6087 kg/hr[19] | Mpumalanga Province Methane Observation 2025-05-05, 2 |
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
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0000314590/000141057825001910/ssl-20250630x20f.htm.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 (PDF) https://www.sasol.com/sites/default/files/2023-09/Sasol%2020-F%20for%20the%20year%20ended%2030%20June%202023_0.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.sasol.com/operations-locations-1.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20260527031315/https://www.mining-technology.com/projects/twistdraai/. Archived from the original on 27 May 2026.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://www.dmre.gov.za/API/Evotiva-UserFiles/FileActionsServices/DownloadFile?ItemId=6805&ModuleId=1414&TabId=162.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0000314590/000110465924097550/ssl-20240630x20f.htm.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (page 132) https://www.sasol.com/sites/default/files/2022-08/Sasol%20LTD%20Form%2020-F%20Website.pdf (page 132).
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240303112222/https://www.sasol.com/about-sasol/strategic-business-units/energy-business/sasol-mining. Archived from the original on 2024-03-03.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/314590/000104746917005415/a2232653z20-f.htm.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/314590/000104746920004692/a2242140z20-f.htm.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Twistdraai Coal Mine, South Africa, Mining Technology, accessed August 2020.
- ↑ "Ten biggest producing underground mines in the Middle East and Africa in 2021", Mining Technology, 3 June 2022.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 FORM 20-F, United States Securities and Exchange Commission, October 28, 2019.
- ↑ "Operating and Developing Coal Mines in the Republic of South Africa, 2014," Department of Mineral Resources: Republic of South Africa, accessed August 2020.
- ↑ Sasol Mining, African Mining, accessed November 2020.
- ↑ "About Us: Operations/Locations", Sasol website, accessed August 2020.
- ↑ "Sasol Mining ramping up coal output of 10.5 million tonnes at Shondoni coal mine", Steel Guru, June 13, 2017.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Sasol inaugurates new mining shaft in Mpumlanga", Sasol Mining website, May 22, 2012.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 19.7 url=https://data.carbonmapper.org/
