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Organisational overview and activities

Group at a glance


Joint venture entity (Assmang)


IRON ORE DIVISION
 

MANGANESE DIVISION

CHROME DIVISION

COMMODITY MINED
 
   

Iron ore

(see here)

Manganese ore

(see here)

Chrome ore

(see here)


TYPE OF OPERATION

   

Mining, crushing, screening and dense medium jigging

Mining, crushing, washing and screening of ore
Smelting of ferromanganese Production of refined ferromanganese


Mining, crushing and concentrating of ore
Pelletising of ore and smelting and production of ferrochrome

DESCRIPTION

   

Iron ore is mined in the Northern Cape in open-cast operations at the Khumani Iron Ore Mine which is located near Kathu in the Northern Cape and at the Beeshoek Iron Ore Mine which is located outside Postmasburg. The bulk of the ore is exported.

Various grades of manganese ore are mined at the Nchwaning and Gloria mines, located in the Black Rock area of the Northern Cape province and manganese alloys are produced at the Cato Ridge Works in KwaZulu-Natal and at the Machadodorp Works in Mpumalanga. Cato Ridge Alloys, a joint venture with Japanese partners, produces refined ferromanganese at the Cato Ridge Works. Feed for the Cato Ridge Works is derived mainly from Assmang’s manganese mines and the bulk of both ore and alloy production is exported.


Chrome ore is mined at the Dwarsrivier Mine near Lydenburg in Mpumalanga province and is either supplied to the Machadodorp Ferrochrome Works or exported.

ATTRIBUTABLE PROFIT/(LOSS)
R million

   
2012: R2 917,8 2012: R611,6 2012: (R87,4)
2011: R2 325,5 2011: R684,9 2011: (R116,9)

Subsidiary companies


RUSTENBURG MINERALS
DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
 

ZEERUST CHROME MINES

WONDERSTONE

COMMODITY MINED
   

Chrome ore

(see here)

Chrome ore

(see here)


Wonderstone

(see here)

TYPE OF OPERATION
   

Mining and concentrating of ore

Concentrating of chrome ore tailings

Mining and beneficiation of Wonderstone and manufacture of ceramic products
 

DESCRIPTION

   

Chrome ore is mined near Rustenburg in open-cast operations and production is supplied mainly to the local market. The company has recently completed one of two planned decline shafts with the other shaft expected to be commissioned at the end of 2013. The underground operations will replace the existing opencast operations.

Chrome ore tailings are processed at the Zeerust Chrome Ore Mine, located in the vicinity of Zeerust in the North West province.

The company mines a type of pyrophyllite, which, for trade purposes, is referred to as Wonderstone. The bulk of the material mined is beneficiated to produce high precision components manufactured to customers’ specification and are exported to the United States of America and the United Kingdom. The company also produces a range of wear and acid-resistant tiles and ceramic products used mainly for chute liners in the local mining industry. These tiles are also installed on a project basis in certain cases.


ATTRIBUTABLE PROFIT/(LOSS)
R million
   
2012: R17,5 2012: (R53,4) 2012: (R7,0)
2011: R17,4 2011: (R8,4) 2011: R2,6
     

ORE & METAL COMPANY

MINERAIS U.S. LLC

AFRICAN MINING AND TRUST COMPANY
 

TYPE OF OPERATION
   

Marketing, sales and shipping of products (see here)


Marketing of minerals and alloys in USA (see here)

Operational management, exploration and technical adviser (see here)

DESCRIPTION
   

Ore & Metal Company Limited is responsible for the marketing, sales and shipping of all the group’s products, including those produced by the three divisions of Assmang. Strong relationships have been established with customers in Europe, North America, South America, India and the Far East.


Minerais U.S. LLC is a trading company, and responsible for marketing and sales administration of the group’s products in the USA, in particular manganese and chrome alloys, and trades in various related commodities.

African Mining and Trust Company Limited is technical adviser to Assmang and other group companies and provides operational management to group mines and plants.

ATTRIBUTABLE PROFIT/(LOSS)
R million
 
   
2012: R254,6 2012: R5,9 2012: R147,6
2011: R187,5 2011: R11,4 2011: R134,1