South African firm Continental Coal has said it will commence the Vaalbank coal exploration project in the Nkangala district of Mpumalanga with its joint venture partner Forzando Coal
According to a press statement issued by Continental Coal, the company received the necessary approvals to start the project from the country's Department of Mineral Resources.
The Vaalbank coal exploration project is located adjacent to Total Coal’s Forzando Colliery. The project for exploring 20 holes in the area for coal reserves, will be done in two phases.
Continental Coal chief executive officer Don Turvey said, “Obtaining the consent now allows Continental and Forzando Coal to commence with the detailed planning and scheduling of the exploration program. Initial studies indicated the potential for an economic resource and we believe the proposed exploration programme will not only support this, but also provide the data required to commence with a pre-feasibility study.”
