Uthingo Ascends to Excellence

A birds-eye view of site offices at Kangra's Uthingo Shaft                                    

The humming sound of the continuous miner effortlessly digging into the rich coal seam bears testament to the hard work unfolding inside Kangra’s Uthingo (formerly Balgarthen) A Shaft. The shaft has performed remarkably well with some months exceeding the set target.

“Our monthly production target is 42,000 tonnes Run of Mine per month. However, we surpassed this goal, demonstrating our operational efficiency and potential for growth, by producing 76,000 tonnes RoM of coal in October 2023,” says Kangra’s general manager, Paul Redelinghuys.

Uthingo is one of two Adits developed by the mine to access the Kusipongo underground reserve which carries rich deposits estimated at 41.9 million tons, enough to extend Kangra’s operations by over 20 years. It is located about 25 km south-west of Udumo, the first shaft developed to access Kusipongo in 2022. Uthingo’s development started around the third quarter of 2022.

Mining at Uthingo A is being done through the board and pillar method, with a two-shift cycle. “We have a great team at Uthingo which has helped us to perform at our best,” affirms Paul. Uthingo B, a shaft strategically planned to be mined through Uthingo A is next in line to be developed and could ensure Kangra remains efficient and productive, even under challenging market conditions. Later in the life of the mine, Uthingo will also provide access to the T4 project, which will be the extension to the current mining right.