Kumba becomes sole owner of Sishen mine
Kumba, the South African arm of mining giant Anglo American, has announced this week that the Department of Mineral Resources has granted a remaining undivided share of the minig right for the Sishen mine to Kumba’s very own subsidiary, Sishen Iron Ore Company (SIOC).
SIOC, drumroll, is now the sole and exclusive holder of the right mine iron ore and quartize at the mine.
Commenting on the news, Themba Mkhwanazi, CEO of Kumba said “Kumba welcomes the news of being awarded the residual right for the Sishen mine. As our track record shows clearly, Kumba is fully committed to transformation and will continue contributing towards the achievement of South Africa’s developmental objectives. We appreciate the work of the Department of Mineral Resources in bringing this matter to a successful conclusion.
A few facts about the Sishen Mine
It is located around 30km away from the town of Kathu in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa.
Sishen is one of the largest iron ore producing open pit mines in the world at 14km long. The very first ore was produced at the mine back in 1976 following the completion of the 862km Sishen-Saldanha railway line.
Mining operations actually date back further to 1947.
Sishen makes up the bulk of iron ore production across Anglo American, with the company producing 44.9Mt of Iron Ore in 2015.
The mine actually holds a record for the company, in 2010 it produced a record 41 million tonnes of iron ore.
There are enough reserves at the mine to sustain a 19-year life of mine.
With the exception of the South African government, Sishen mine is Northern Cape’s largest employer, with a total of 8,233 employees by the end of 2012 – 2014 period.
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