The Moatize Coal Mine is located in the northwest region of Mozambique, in the district of Moatize, Tete Province.

The Moatize Mine is a metallurgical and thermal coal mine, which was officially inaugurated in May 2011 and has an estimated life span until 2046. The mine produces some 22 million tons of coal per annum

The project is owned by Vale and represents its biggest investment in the sector. The mine employs approximately 15,000 workers.

Due to the poor infrastructure in the region, a railroad had to be built totaling over 900 km and passing through Mozambique and Malawi to connect to the Nacala port for transport of the mine’s output.

BAUER Technologies South Africa were awarded the contract for the drilling campaign of large diameter bulk sampling for several exploration sections in the mining area.

The main objective in the drilling campaign is to acquire fresh coal samples up to 70 m depth for further laboratory testing for product characterization studies.

The drilling formations encountered are a sequence of shales, mudstones and siltstones intercalated with six multi-seam coal bearing zones ranging in thickness from 1.5 m to 40.0 m.