Kumba's Sishen iron ore mine sets record output

Kumba's Sishen iron ore mine sets record output

South Africa's Kumba Resources' Sishen iron ore mine achieved record coal production and sales volumes. Higher demand for coking coal and improved operating efficiencies increased other domestic sales by 4%. At Ticor SA in Richards Bay, two furnaces continued to increase production according to the planned schedule, resulting in higher production rates and the first sales of slag and low manganese pig iron. A feasibility study into the Sishen Expansion Project which would increase iron ore output by 10 million tons annually in addition to the one million tons per annum expansion currently in progress, is expected to be completed by the end of 2004. As previously reported by SteelOrbis, in July 2004 Kumba Resources concluded an agreement with the government of Senegal and its agency Miferso to begin an exploration program to establish a resource base in Senegal's Faleme iron ore deposits in the southeast of the country.