Since the mid-90’s Cat 992’s have been the primary loaders at one of South Africa’s richest iron ore deposits.

A distinctive, rusty red, the Northern Cape’s iron ore geology is famed worldwide for its rich ferrous content and hardness: qualities that now and in the future will continue to shape the structural world we live in.

Assmang Limited’s Beeshoek mine is a prime example. Situated near the town of Postmasburg, Beeshoek was established as a manganese mine back in 1935 switching to iron ore in 1964. Since then, the amount of iron ore coming out of the ground has been substantial, and at its peak Beeshoek was producing over six million tonnes annually, mostly destined for export via the Port of Saldanha. Both opencast operations, Beeshoek, along with Assmang’s nearby Khumani Mine (located approximately 60km to the north), are the two pillars of its iron ore drive. And on both mines, Cat units form the backbone of the load and haul operation, working with high SG materials that are amongst the most challenging for earthmoving machines. Mining at Khumani ramped up in 2009, and the current programme is geared towards achieving around 10 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), mostly focusing on the export market.

In the not too distant future though, this figure could climb substantially following recent Assmang board approval for a major expansion project at Khumani, valued at some R5,5 billion. An infrastructure upgrade that will then position the mine to meet targets in the region of 16 mtpa, with an estimated life of mine (LOM) in excess of 30 years at these production levels.Supporting Khumani’s objectives, Beeshoek still has a long and productive life ahead of it and will comfortably keep on delivering around 2 mtpa for many years to come.  

A feasibility study carried out at Beeshoek’s Village Pit – the site of the mine’s original residential centre – points to a sizeable iron ore deposit that could extend the current 20 year LOM significantly.

Keeping production flowing, Beeshoek’s Cat loaders made their debut at the mine around 1995 with the initial acquisition of a Cat 992D. This unit, now in a semi-dissembled state, sits quietly at Beeshoek’s workshops having recorded over 51 000 hours. Another Cat 992D remains in service, operating in a double re-handling role, with over 50 000 hours on the clock and climbing. Meanwhile on the mining side two long serving Cat G-Series 992’s were joined in early 2011 by a new Cat 992K, Caterpillar’s latest generation unit in this model range with an operating weight of around 98 tonnes. This new Cat 992K loader forms part of Beeshoek’s ongoing equipment modernisation progamme to ensure continued high availability across its mining fleet.

“Our Cat 992’s have delivered time and again in this arduous mining application, with its associated heavy-duty materials and high ambient working temperatures in the pit, so when it came to a replacement our logical choice was the Cat 992K,” says Beeshoek’s engineering manager, Fanie Burger.

Beeshoek’s Cat 992K, as with its fellow 992 units, is fitted with a 12.3m³ rock bucket that equates to a payload of 25 to 28 tonnes, a perfect loading match for the mine’s 90 tonne capacity Cat 777 rigid trucks.


Alastair Currie
Media Relations Manager
Barloworld Equipment
Tel: 011-929-0000
E-mail: acurrie@barloworld-equipment.com