Magdalena is located 22 kilometres from the town of Dundee and encompasses approximately 1,844 hectares. Buffalo Coal suspended its mining operations at Magdalena in Q4 2018. The current Magdalena team started to mine at Magdalena on a small scale in Q2 2020, using conventional drill and blast mining methods (which were different to the previously utilised continuous mining method). These mining activities were suspended at the end of Q3 2020 due to a lack of a reliable and economically attractive market for the Group’s bituminous coal at the time. Small scale mining activities, targeting monthly production of 8,000 tonnes per month, resumed in February 2021 following renewed interest in the Group’s bituminous coal.
During Q4 2021 a ramp-up strategy was developed for Magdalena whereby production would be increased in a phased approach increasing to one full section (20,000 tonnes per month) during Q2 2022 as part of the phase 1 ramp-up and then to two full sections (36,000-43,000 tonnes per month) as of Q1 2024 as part of the phase 2 ramp-up.
Magdalena has a Measured and Indicated GTIS Coal Resource of 43.87 million tonnes.
Buffalo Coal’s second processing plant as well as the discard dump (used for both anthracite and bituminous discard) is located on the Magdalena Property.
Location | Dundee, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa |
Resource ( High-Grade Bituminous Coal ) |
NI 43-101 Resource Statement (GTIS) |
Calorific Value | - 28.5 MJ/kg + - 12,250 BTU/lb - 6,800 kcal/kg |
LOM Current Reserves | +25 years |
Plant Capacity | 250 tonnes per hour |