Oil from Coal

Syferfontein was originally an open cut operation named after the original farm that it occupies like many of the mine in the country. The mine operates from a couple of enteries and has mined two seams. Currently the mine extracts coal by bord and pillar method at approximately 5m high by 7.2m wide. No wonder that they make money from first workings! All of the coal is transported by overland belt to Sasol's plant where is it processed to create oil which is further refined to produce petrol. Some 40% of the country's petrol is produced by this method.

One of the production panels utilises a continous coal clearance systems from the miner using a series of loader/conveyors. Surveyors are kept busy setting sights, conducting ribline surveys and completing control surveys as the development rates are pretty good, but they're staffed well, taking up a whole office building. Most mines still use a draftsperson to prepare all their plans and Microstation is a popular package.