Different absolutely. CIC has 100m of overburden to the first seam which is 3m thick and is thermal coal, hence they are underground mining. CDS has a 16.5 metre overburden to the first coal seam (I think it is thermal as well), hence like Grootegeluk they will probably look at opencast. I have been told CDS have to mine opencast anyway because the mudstone interbeds are too weak for underground mining on the SA side.
DYOR- I am only guessing from what I have found and read on the net.
CDS
comdek limited.
