31st Jan 2017 07:00
ANNOUNCEMENT 31 January 2017
REPORT FOR THE QUARTER ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2016
PROGRESS IN IDENTIFYING CASH GENERATING ASSET
Coal of Africa Limited ("CoAL" or "the Company") which operates in South Africa, together with its subsidiaries, hereby provides its update for the quarter ended 31 December 2016. All figures are denominated in United States dollars unless otherwise stated. A copy of this report is available on the Company's website, www.coalofafrica.com.
Salient operational features
· No lost-time injuries ("LTIs") recorded during the quarter (FY2017 Q1: nil).
· The Integrated Water Use Licence ("IWUL") for the Makhado Project remains suspended following an appeal to the Department of Water and Sanitation ("DWS") submitted by the Vhembe Mineral Resources Forum. Discussions continue with the Minister of Water and Sanitation.
· Appeal against the Environmental Authorisation ("EA") amendment at the Makhado Project has been dismissed by the South African Minister of the Department of Environmental Affairs.
· Continued progress in the identification of possible cash generating assets.
· The EA for the approval of the stream diversion at Vele Colliery has been awarded by the South African Department of Mineral Resources ("DMR").
Corporate and financial features
· Available cash at period end was US$7.36 million and restricted cash of US$0.3million.
QUARTERLY COMMENTARY
Makhado Coking Coal Project ("Makhado Project") - Soutpansberg Coalfield (100% owned - 74% post BBBEE transaction)
The Makhado Project recorded no LTIs (FY2017 Q1: nil) during the quarter.
Makhado's 26-month construction phase is expected to begin as soon as all regulatory approvals are in place (expected during CY2017). This delayed start up reflects the complex environment in which South African mining companies operate. CoAL remains committed to ensuring that the requisite processes are completed as efficiently as possible. Post construction, a further four month ramp-up phase will result in the production of 5.5 million tonnes per annum ("Mtpa") of saleable product.
During FY2016 Q2 the Company was granted a 20-year IWUL for the Makhado Project. Following an appeal to the DWS submitted by the Vhembe Mineral Resources Forum and other parties, the IWUL was automatically suspended under Section 148 (2) (b) of the South African National Water Act No 36 of 1998. Representation has been made to the Minister of Water and Sanitation and the Water Tribunal to progress the final conclusion of the appeal.
The interim court interdict to halt any mining or construction activity issued against CoAL in respect of the Makhado Project during Q2 FY2014 remains in place. Subsequent to this, the EA for the Makhado Project was transferred from CoAL to Baobab Mining and Exploration (Pty) Ltd, the operating entity for the Makhado Project in July 2016 by the DMR and the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET). The validity period for the commencement of activities was also further extended for an additional five years. This authorisation is fully executable and will facilitate the commencement of the Makhado Project upon resolution of the IWUL.
CoAL has successfully launched the Makhado Centre of Learning which aims to develop skills within communities to enable access to opportunities offered within the Makhado Project
CoAL remains committed to the sustainable development of the Makhado Project, whilst recognising its potential to drive significant socio-economic transformation. The Company continues to engage with all stakeholders to ensure the on-going implementation of a co-existent model, seeking co-operation between mining, agriculture and heritage land uses.
Mooiplaats Colliery - Ermelo Coalfield (74% owned)
The Mooiplaats thermal coal colliery was placed on care and maintenance during Q1 2014, and recorded no LTIs during the period (FY2017 Q1: nil).
During the current quarter the Company continued discussions with potential purchasers and is assessing various options regarding a transaction at the colliery. Interested parties are in various stages of the due diligence process.
Vele Colliery - Limpopo (Tuli) Coalfield (100% owned)
The Vele coking and thermal coal colliery ("Vele Colliery") recorded no LTIs during the quarter (FY2017 Q1: nil).
The IWUL for the Vele Colliery has been renewed for a further 20 years and has also been amended in line with the requirements for the Plant Modification Project ("PMP") at the colliery.
The DMR has recently granted an EA in terms of the National Environmental Management Act ("NEMA") (Act 107 of 1998) and the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations (2014) for Vele Colliery for stream diversion and associated infrastructural activities.
CoAL awaits the approval of an IWUL from the DWS which is the final approval required to complete the regulatory approvals for the stream diversion in respect of the PMP.
Greater Soutpansberg Project (MbeuYashu) (74% owned)
The MbeuYashu Project recorded no LTIs (FY2017 Q1: nil) during the period.
No other significant matters to report.
Corporate
The Company is in the process of evaluating a number of opportunities to acquire a cash generating asset. We continue to engage with potential funders to ensure any potential opportunity can be appropriately funded. As noted previously any purchase of this nature does not confer any certainty and the Company will keep the market informed in a timely manner. The Company is also aware of the current cash balances and the requirement to fund the last legacy liability in June 2017 and is also in discussions to ensure the payment of this liability can be funded and provide sufficient funding to move forward on the Makhado Project.
Markets
Hard coking coal prices have experienced tremendous movement over the last six months starting at US$86 in June 2016 surging to over US$300 a tonne by the end of the quarter. Post the quarter end of December 2016 the hard coking prices have settled to a more acceptable US$170 per tonne. At the end of the previous quarter the Company expressed concerns on the sustainability of the current pricing, but are more comfortable with the current levels of pricing. The Company is optimistic about the increase in project value that these pricing levels contribute to the future projects.
David Brown, CEO commented: "The focus of the last quarter was on four main elements - firstly to acquire a cash generating asset, secondly to ensure sufficient funding is available to meet all of the Company's obligations, thirdly to continue with obtaining all of the outstanding regulatory requirements for both Vele and Makhado and finally the continued drive to dispose of the Mooiplaats asset. We continue to make progress with each of these developments and look forward to updating the market in due course."
Authorised by
David Brown
Chief Executive Officer
For more information contact:
David Brown | Chief Executive Officer | Coal of Africa | +27 10 003 8000 |
De Wet Schutte | Chief Financial Officer | Coal of Africa | +27 10 003 8000 |
Celeste Riekert | Investor Relations | Coal of Africa | +27 10 003 8000 |
Tony Bevan | Company Secretary | Endeavour Corporate Services | +61 08 9316 9100 |
Company advisors:
Matthew Armitt/Ross Allister | Nominated Adviser and Broker | Peel Hunt LLP
| +44 20 7418 8900 |
Jos Simson/Emily Fenton | Financial PR (United Kingdom) | Tavistock | +44 20 7920 3150 |
Charmane Russell/Olwen Auret | Financial PR (South Africa) | Russell & Associates | +27 11 880 3924 or +27 82 372 5816 |
Investec Bank Limited is the nominated JSE Sponsor
About CoAL:
CoAL is an AIM/ASX/JSE listed coal exploration, development and mining company operating in South Africa. CoAL's key projects include the Vele Colliery (coking and thermal coal), the Greater Soutpansberg Project /MbeuYashu, including CoAL's Makhado Project (coking and thermal coal).
Tenements held by CoAL and its Controlled Entities
Project Name | Tenement Number | Location | Interest | Change in quarter | ||
Chapudi Project* | Albert 686 MS- | Limpopo~ | 74% | |||
Bergwater 712 MS-- | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent and Portion 2 of Bergwater 697 MS-- | 74% | |||||
Blackstone Edge 705 MS | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent & Portion 1 of Bluebell 480 MS- | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent & Portion 1 of Bushy Rise 702 MS-- | 74% | |||||
Castle Koppies 652 MS-- | 74% | |||||
Chapudi 752 MS -- | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent, Portions 1, 3 & 4 of Coniston 699 MS-- | 74% | |||||
Driehoek 631 MS-- | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent of Dorps-rivier 696 MS-- | 74% | |||||
Enfield 512 MS (consolidation of Remaining Extent of Enfield 474 MS, Brosdoorn 682 MS & Remaining Extent of Grootvlei 684 MS)-- | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent and Portion 1 of | 74% | |||||
Grootboomen 476 MS- | 74% | |||||
Grootvlei 684 MS-- | 74% | |||||
Kalkbult 709 MS | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent, Remaining Extent of Portion 2, Remaining Extent of Portion 3, Portions 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 of Kliprivier 692 MS- | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent of Koodoobult 664 MS- | 74% | |||||
Koschade 657 MS (Was Mapani Kop 656 MS)- | 74% | |||||
Malapchani 659 MS- | 74% | |||||
Mapani Ridge 660 MS- | 74% | |||||
Melrose 469 MS- | 74% | |||||
Middelfontein 683 MS- | 74% | |||||
Mountain View 706 MS- | 74% | |||||
M'tamba Vlei 654 MS | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent & Portion 1 of Pienaar 635 MS- | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent & Portion 1 of Prince's Hill 704 MS- | 74% | |||||
Qualipan 655 MS- | 74% | |||||
Queensdale 707 MS- | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent & Portion 1 of Ridge End 662 MS- | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent & Portion 1 of Rochdale 700 MS- | 74% | |||||
Sandilands 708 MS- | 74% | |||||
Portions 1 & 2 of Sandpan 687 MS-- | 74% | |||||
Sandstone Edge 658 MS- | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent of Portions 2 & 3 of Sterkstroom 689 MS-- | 74% | |||||
Sutherland 693 MS- | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent & Portion 1 of Varkfontein 671 MS-- | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent, Portion 2, Remaining Extent of Portion 1 of Vastval 477 MS- | 74% | |||||
Vleifontein 691 MS- | 74% | |||||
Ptn 3, 4, 5 & 6 of Waterpoort 695 MS-- | 74% | |||||
Wildebeesthoek 661 MS- | 74% | |||||
Woodlands 701 MS- | 74% | |||||
Kanowna West and | M27/41 | Coolgardie^ | 23.68% | |||
Kalbara | M27/47 | 23.68% | ||||
M27/59 | 23.68% | |||||
M27/72,27/73 | 23.68% | |||||
M27/114 | 23.68% | |||||
M27/181 | 21.31% | |||||
M27/196 | 23.68% | |||||
M27/414,27/415 | 23.68% | |||||
P27/1826-1829 | 23.68% | |||||
P27/1830-1842 | 23.68% | |||||
P27/1887 | 23.68% | |||||
Abbotshall Royalty | ML63/409,410 | Norseman^ | Royalty | |||
Kookynie Royalty | ML40/061 | Leonora^ | Royalty | |||
ML40/135,136 | Royalty | |||||
Holfontein | Remaining extent, Remaining Extent of portions 1, 5 and 11 and portions 4, 6, 9, 10, 12 and 13 of the farm Holfontein 138 IS | Mpumalanga~ | 100% | |||
Makhado Project | Fripp 645 MS | Limpopo~ | 100%# | |||
Lukin 643 MS | 100%# | |||||
Mutamba 668 MS | 100%# | |||||
Salaita 188 MT | 100%# | |||||
Tanga 849 MS | 100%# | |||||
Daru 848 MS Windhoek 847 MS
|
| 100%# 100%#
|
| |||
Generaal Project | Beck 568 MS-- | Limpopo~ | 74% | |||
Bekaf 650 MS- | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent & Portion 1 of Boas 642 MS- | 74% | |||||
Chase 576 MS- | 74% | |||||
Coen Britz 646 MS- | 74% | |||||
Fanie 578 MS- | 74% | |||||
Portions 1, 2 and Remaining Extent of Generaal 587 MS- | 74% | |||||
Joffre 584 MS- | 74% | |||||
Juliana 647 MS | 74% | |||||
Kleinenberg 636 MS- | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent of Maseri Pan 520 MS- | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent and Portion 2 of Mount Stuart 153 MT-- | 100% | |||||
Nakab 184 MT-- | 100% | |||||
Phantom 640 MS-- | 74% | |||||
Riet 182 MT-- | 100% | |||||
Rissik 637 MS- | 100% | |||||
Schuitdrift 179 MT- | 100% | |||||
Septimus 156 MT-- | 100% | |||||
Solitude 111 MT- | 74% | |||||
Stayt 183 MT-- | 100% | |||||
Remaining Extent & Portion 1 of Terblanche 155 MT-- | 100% | |||||
Van Deventer 641 MS- | 74% | |||||
Wildgoose 577 MS- | 74% | |||||
Mopane Project* | Ancaster 501 MS-- | Limpopo~ | 100% | |||
Banff 502 MS- | 74% | |||||
Bierman 599 MS- | 74% | |||||
Cavan 508 MS | 100% | |||||
Cohen 591 MS-- | 100% | |||||
Remaining Extent, Portions 1 & 2 of Delft 499 MS- | 74% | |||||
Dreyer 526 MS-- | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent of Du Toit 563 MS- | 74% | |||||
Faure 562 MS | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent and Portion 1 of Goosen 530 MS -- | 74% | |||||
Hermanus 533 MS- | 74% | |||||
Jutland 536 MS-- | 100% | |||||
Krige 495 MS- | 74% | |||||
Mons 557 MS- | 100% | |||||
Remaining Extent of Otto 560 MS (Now Honeymoon)- | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent & Portion 1 of Pretorius 531 MS- | 74% | |||||
Schalk 542 MS- | 74% | |||||
Stubbs 558 MS- | 100% | |||||
Ursa Minor 551 MS-- | 74% | |||||
Van Heerden 519 MS-- | 74% | |||||
Portions 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Remaining Extent of Portion 10, Portions 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52 & 54 of Vera 815 MS | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent of Verdun 535 MS- | 74% | |||||
Voorburg 503 MS-- | 100% | |||||
Mooiplaats Colliery and prospects | Portions 1, 9,14,17,18,19,20 & Remaining Extent of Mooiplaats 290 IT | Mpumalanga~ | 74% | |||
Portion 2, 3 and Remaining Extent of Klipbank 295 IT | 74% | |||||
Portions 1, 2 and Remaining Extent of Adrianople296 IT | 74% | |||||
Portions 2 & 3 of Willemsdal 330 IT | 74% | |||||
Portions 2, 3, 4 & Remaining Extent) of De Emigratie 327 IT | 74% | |||||
Remaining Extent and Portions 2, 5, 8,10 & 13 of Buhrmansvallei 297 IT | 74% | |||||
Klipfontein 442 IT | 74% | |||||
Vele Colliery and prospect | Portions of Overvlakte 125 MS (Remaining Extent, 3, 4, 5, 6, 13, 14) | Limpopo~ | 100% | |||
Bergen Op Zoom 124 MS | 100% | |||||
Semple 155 MS | 100% | |||||
Voorspoed 836 MS | 100% | |||||
Alyth 837 MS
| 100%
| |||||
Tshikunda | Certain portions of Unsurveyed State Land known as Mutale | Limpopo~ | 60% | |||
Coal bed methane | Adelaide 91 MT | Limpopo~ | 50% | |||
Adieu 118 MT | 50% | |||||
Alicedale 138 MT | 50% | |||||
Armstice 120 MT | 50% | |||||
Bergwater 697 MS | 50% | |||||
Bergwater 712 MS | 50% | |||||
Blackstone Edge 705 MS | 50% | |||||
Bushy Rise 702 MS | 50% | |||||
Chapudi 752 MS | 50% | |||||
Charlotte 90 MT | 50% | |||||
Chase 576 MS | 50% | |||||
Cross 117 MT | 50% | |||||
Doppie 95 MT | 50% | |||||
Ettie 33 MT | 50% | |||||
Fanie 578 MS | 50% | |||||
Feskraal 85 MT | 50% | |||||
Folorodwe 79 MT | 50% | |||||
Fripp 645 MS | 50% | |||||
Gray 189 MT | 50% | |||||
Hettey 93 MT | 50% | |||||
Jeannette 77 MT | 50% | |||||
Joffre 584 MS | 50% | |||||
Kalkbult 709 MS | 50% | |||||
Laura 115 MT | 50% | |||||
Lukin 643 MS | 50% | |||||
Magazasand 123 MT | 50% | |||||
Malapchani 659 MS | 50% | |||||
Mountainview 706 MS | 50% | |||||
Mount Stuart 153 MT | 50% | |||||
Nakab 184 MT | 50% | |||||
Naus 178 MT | 50% | |||||
Neltox 92 MT | 50% | |||||
Phantom 640 MS | 50% | |||||
Prince's Hill 704 MS | 50% | |||||
Queensdale 707 MS | 50% | |||||
Riet 182 MT | 50% | |||||
Rochdale 700 MS | 50% | |||||
Rynie 158 MT | 50% | |||||
Salaita 188 MT | 50% | |||||
Schuitdrift 179 MT | 50% | |||||
Septimus 156 MT | 50% | |||||
Stayt 183 MT | 50% | |||||
Suzette 32 MT | 50% | |||||
Tanga 648 MS | 50% | |||||
Telema 190 MT | 50% | |||||
Terblanche 155 MT | 50% | |||||
Trevenna 119 MT | 50% | |||||
The Duel 186 MT | 50% | |||||
Truida 76 MT | 50% | |||||
Van Deventer 641 MS | 50% | |||||
Wendy 86 MT | 50% | |||||
Wildgoose 577 MS | 50% | |||||
Windhoek 649 MS | 50% | |||||
Zisaan 31 MT | 50% | |||||
Ziska 122 MT | 50% | |||||
Portion of Unsurveyed state land | 50% | |||||
* Form part of the Greater Soutpansberg Project
- Lapsed - Mining Right Application Lodged
-- Valid - Mining Right Application Lodged
~ Tenement located in the Republic of South Africa
^ Tenement located in Western Australia
# CoAL's interest will reduce to 74% owned on completion of the Broad Based Economic Empowerment transaction
Related Shares:
MCM.L