Name: Thabazimbi mine.

Location: The Thabazimbi mine is situated 200 km north of Johannesburg, in Limpopo, South Africa.

Controlling Company: Kumba Iron Ore (74%).

Brief History: Exploration, development and production history dates back to 1919; however, large-scale exploration began only in the early 1930s when Iscor acquired the mineral rights. Substantive mining operations began in 1934, primarily providing ore for consumption at domestic steel mills. Mining activities started underground and openpit mining was introduced in 1942. The Thabazimbi plant was the template for the first beneficiation plant of its big brother, Sishen, in the Northern Cape. Underground mining was halted in 1998, with surface mining being the current method of operation.

Brief Description: Thabazimbi is an opencast iron-ore mine. Mining is currently conducted from three pits that are geographically separated from one another.

Mining Method: Openpit.

Products: Hematite iron-ore.

Major Infrastructure and Equipment: The mine’s entire run-of-mine is beneficiated through a high-yield dense-medium separator. Other equipment includes rotating drills, haul trucks and rope shovels, as well as supportive equipment.

Geology/Mineralisation: The orebodies comprise mainly lenticular units in the Penge formation and smaller tabular basal units. The product is largely contaminant-free, high-grade and low-grade, goethite and hematite hard and soft ore; the lump to fine ratio is about 42:58.

Reserves: Total proven and probable reserves as at December 31, 2012, were 9.5-million tons, with a grading of 60.6% iron.

Resources: Total measured and indicated resources considered for the life-of-mine plan (LoM) as at December 31, 2012, were 10.7-million tons, with a grading of 62.5% iron. Inferred resources outside the LoM plan were 8.2-million, with a grading of 62.5% iron.

Prospects: The Thabazimbi mine’s LoM plan extends to 2018. The future of the current operation is under discussion with ArcelorMittal South Africa.

Contact person: Investor relations manager, Esha Mansingh.

Contact details:
Kumba Iron Ore
Tel +27 12 683 7067
Fax +27 86 624 2836
Email esha.mansingh@angloamerican.com
Website www.kumba.co.za.