OPT - Optimum Coal Holdings - Abridged Prospectus11 Mar 2010
JSE
OPT                                                                             
OPT - Optimum Coal Holdings - Abridged Prospectus                               
Optimum Coal Holdings Limited                                                   
(formerly known as Optimum Coal Holdings (Proprietary) Limited)                 
(incorporated in the Republic of South Africa)                                  
(Registration Number: 2006/007799/06)                                           
JSE share code: OPT      ISIN: ZAE000144663                                     
("Optimum Coal" or the "Company" or the "Issuer")                               
ABRIDGED PROSPECTUS                                                             
Abridged prospectus relating to the listing of Optimum Coal Holdings Limited on 
the main board of the JSE Limited ("JSE") with effect from the commencement of  
business on Monday 29 March 2010.  The information has been extracted from the  
detailed prospectus issued by Optimum Coal, on Thursday, 11 March 2010.         
This abridged prospectus is not an invitation to the public to subscribe for    
shares in Optimum Coal, but is issued in compliance with the Listings           
Requirements of the JSE for the purpose of providing information to the public  
with regard to Optimum Coal.                                                    
1.   Introduction and Offer particulars                                         
On 12 February 2010 a resolution was passed by the board of directors of Optimum
Coal (the "Board") for an offer for subscription by Optimum Coal and an offer   
for sale by certain of the Company`s existing shareholders ("Selling            
Shareholders"), subject to certain conditions (the "Offer"), to selected        
institutional and invited investors in South Africa and to selected             
institutional investors in other jurisdictions to whom the Offer will           
specifically be addressed, of up to 42,750,000 ordinary shares having a par     
value of R0.000005 each ("Offer Shares") in the issued share capital of the     
Company, pursuant to which the Company would list on the main board of the JSE  
(the "Listing").                                                                
The Offer is subject to the aggregate sale and subscription of up to 42,750,000 
Offer Shares and achieving the JSE free float and shareholder spread            
requirements. The Listing will not proceed if the minimum subscription and sale 
are not achieved or the JSE free float and shareholder spread requirements are  
not met, and any acceptance of the Offer shall not take effect and no person    
shall have any claim whatsoever against the Issuer, the Selling Shareholders,   
the managers or any other person as a result of the failure of any condition.   
The Issuer will not receive any of the proceeds from the Offer Shares being sold
by the Selling Shareholders.  Investors will only be allowed to acquire shares  
for an amount of no less than R100,000.                                         
Subject to the fulfilment of the above conditions, 248,488,443 Optimum Coal     
ordinary shares of a par value of R0.000005 each will be listed on the main     
board of the JSE under the short name "Optimum", share code "OPT" and ISIN      
ZAE000144663, with effect from the commencement of business on Monday, 29 March 
2010.                                                                           
All shares (including any Offer Shares) that are in issue as at the date of this
abridged prospectus will rank pari passu in all respects                        
2.   Overview of the business of Optimum Coal                                   
Optimum Coal was incorporated on 15 March 2006 as a Black Economic Empowerment  
("BEE") coal mining and exploration company and acquired Optimum Collieries and 
a 9.5% interest in Richards Bay Coal Terminal Company Limited ("RBCTCL") from   
BHP Billiton Energy Coal South Africa Limited ("BECSA") on 30 June 2008.  Prior 
to the acquisition, Optimum Coal had no meaningful trading results. On 2        
February 2010, Optimum Coal converted from a private company to a public        
company.                                                                        
Optimum Coal is the sixth largest producer of thermal coal in South Africa based
on 2009 coal production and South Africa`s fourth largest exporter of thermal   
coal based on 2009 coal exports. The Company`s operations are located in the    
Witbank coalfield region in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa and include 
Optimum Collieries, a large opencast and underground mining complex comprised of
the Kwagga, Pullenshope, Eikeboom and Boschmanspoort mines, and Koornfontein    
Mines in which the Company currently has an effective 19.1% interest, held      
through Koornfontein Holdings. Koornfontein Holdings owns 50.002% of Siyanda    
Coal (Proprietary) Limited ("Koornfontein"), which is the owner of Koornfontein 
Mines. Optimum Coal entered into transactions with Siyanda Resources            
(Proprietary) Limited ("Siyanda"), which has a 43.7% effective interest in      
Koornfontein Holdings, and Sentula Mining Limited ("Sentula"), which holds      
49.998% in Koornfontein, in November 2009 and February 2010, respectively which 
will, on completion, increase the Company`s effective interest in Koornfontein  
to 91.0%. The estimated lives of the mines of Optimum Collieries and            
Koornfontein Mines are 22 years and 18 years, respectively.                     
Optimum Coal produces thermal coal with low sulphur content for export and      
domestic sale.  The Company`s Optimum Collieries export sales are made primarily
into the European markets pursuant to a long-term supply agreement with BECSA   
through the Richards Bay Coal Terminal ("RBCT").  The price that the Company    
receives from BECSA is based on a published API#4 (all price index FOB Richards 
Bay).  Substantially all of the Company`s Optimum Collieries domestic sales are 
to Eskom Holdings Limited ("Eskom"), the South African state-owned energy       
utility for use in a power station that is an integral part of the South African
electricity generation grid.  These sales are pursuant to a long-term contract  
with a delivery requirement of 5.5 million tons per year at a fixed base price  
with producer price inflation and coal cost index related escalation.  Optimum  
Coal does not produce any metallurgical coal.                                   
As of 30 June 2009, Optimum Collieries had a reserve base of 272.8 million tons 
of run-of-mine coal, of which 191.0 million tons were classified as saleable,   
and Koornfontein Mines had a reserve base of 48.3 million tons of run-of-mine   
coal, of which 30.7 million tons were classified as saleable.                   
Optimum Coal also has a 9.5% interest in RBCTCL, where it is the fourth largest 
shareholder and the largest single BEE shareholder, which owns RBCT, one of the 
largest coal terminals in the world and the key coal export port in South       
Africa. The Company believes its shareholding and economic interest in RBCTCL   
provides a strategic advantage due to the associated rights it has to use the   
coal loading and export facility.  The Company owns 6.86 million tons per year  
entitlement, of which 6.5 million tons per year are available for its own use.  
In addition, Koornfontein Mines owns 1.58 million tons per year entitlement, of 
which 1.5 million tons per year are available for its own use.                  
The Issuer is a broad based black-owned and controlled mining company, with over
50% black equity ownership and voting control on its board of directors. Prior  
to the Listing, unencumbered employee and community trusts owned 50,000,000     
shares representing 22.3 % of the Issuer`s issued share capital.                
In November 2009, the Company entered into a transaction upon completion of     
which it will acquire a further 43.7% of the issued share capital of            
Koornfontein Holdings from Siyanda, in addition to 38.3% of the issued share    
capital of Koornfontein Holdings that it currently owns (the "2009 Koornfontein 
Acquisition"). On the closing of the transaction in accordance with its terms,  
the Company will be the holder of 82.0% of the issued share capital of          
Koornfontein Holdings, and will consolidate Koornfontein Holdings into its      
financial statements as a subsidiary. The Company`s effective interest in       
Koornfontein Mines will increase from 19.1% to a controlling effective interest 
of 41.0%. The agreement is subject to the consent of the Competition Commission,
and completion is expected in the first half of 2010. The purchase price will be
R310 million.                                                                   
On 12 February 2010 the Company entered into a transaction with Sentula in      
respect of the purchase by the Company of 49,998 ordinary shares in the issued  
share capital of Koornfontein constituting 49.998% of the entire issued share   
capital of Koornfontein and all of the claims of Sentula against Koornfontein,  
for a purchase consideration of R670 million (the "2010 Koornfontein            
Acquisition"). The agreement between the Company and Sentula is subject to      
customary closing conditions. Assuming the completion of the 2009 Koornfontein  
Acquisition and the 2010 Koornfontein Acquisition, the Issuer`s effective       
interest in Koornfontein Mines will increase from 19.1% to 91.0%.               
In addition to the Company`s operations, it has numerous coal projects at       
various stages of development, including the Schoonoord project at Optimum      
Collieries, the Vlakfontein and Overvaal projects in the Ermelo area and        
Koornfontein Mines No. 4 Seam project.  All these projects are expected to be   
developed in the near to medium term, subject to final board approval.          
Exploration work continues on various greenfield projects to improve resource   
confidence with a view to prioritising the Company`s growth and development     
pipeline.                                                                       
In the year ended 30 June 2009, Optimum Coal:                                   
-    sold 9.3 million tons of coal, of which approximately 45% was exported;    
-    generated revenues of R3,964.7 million;                                    
-    had EBITDA of R1,439.9 million; and                                        
-    had net income of R747.2 million.                                          
In the six months ended 31 December 2009, Optimum Coal:                         
-    sold 5.1 million tons of coal, of which approximately 50% was exported;    
-    generated revenues of R1,500.0 million;                                    
-    had EBITDA of R454.2 million; and                                          
-    had net income of R69.7 million.                                           
3.   Key Strengths                                                              
The Company believes that the following strengths enhance its market position:  
-    it is one of South Africa`s largest coal mining companies, the fourth      
largest thermal coal exporter and it also supplies coal to the local power      
markets;                                                                        
-    it has an advanced mine life extension programme at the Optimum Collieries 
that will continue to benefit its cash costs;                                   
-    it is a black-owned and controlled mining group;                           
-    it has an experienced management team and workforce with relevant          
experience in the coal mining industry; and                                     
-    it has a strong balance sheet that provides a good growth platform.        
4.   Business Strategy and Prospects                                            
In the opinion of the directors the Company is well-positioned to take advantage
of current and future commercial opportunities to enhance shareholder value by  
continuing to implement its strategy, which has the following key components:   
-    expanding the scope of its current coal operations and developing near-term
coal projects;                                                                  
-    continuing to opportunistically pursue coal acquisitions that will create  
value and expand its business; and                                              
-    generating stakeholder value and empowering its people and the communities 
in which it operates.                                                           
5.   Directors                                                                  
The names, ages and business addresses of the directors are set outbelow:       
On the date of listing, the Board will comprise:                                
Name                                          Business Address                  
Non-executive directors                                                         
Dr. Sivandran Munsami Gounden (50) -          Holgoun House, 269 Veale Street,  
(Chairman)                                    New Muckleneuk 0181, Pretoria,    
                                             South Africa                       
Mr. Robert Michael Godsell (58) - (Deputy     14 Roxburgh Ave, Craighall Park   
Chairman)                                     2196, Johannesburg                
South Africa                       
Mr. Thomas Ignatius Borman (42)               Unit B1003, Marlborough Gate,     
                                             Hyde Park Lane, Hyde Park 2196,    
                                             Johannesburg, South Africa         
Mr. Peter Kennedy Gain (34)                   Unit B1003, Marlborough Gate,     
                                             Hyde Park Lane                     
                                             Hyde Park 2196, Johannesburg,      
                                             South Africa                       
Mr. Eliphus Oki Monkoe (50)                   Unit B1003, Marlborough Gate,     
                                             Hyde Park Lane, Hyde Park 2196,    
                                             Johannesburg, South Africa         
Dr. Mlungisi Kwini (51)                       1st Floor Surrey House, 35        
Rissik Street                      
                                             Johannesburg 2001, South Africa    
Ms. Nomavuso Patience Mnxasana (54)           934 Juarez Street, Kyalami        
                                             Estates, Midrand 1682,             
South Africa                       
Mr. Christiaan Lourens Smit (58)              30 St Andrews Drive, Greenways,   
                                             Strand 7139, South Africa          
Ms. Lulama Leonora Letlape (45)               Mercedes Benz Building, Wierda    
Road,                              
                                             Centurion, South Africa            
Mr. Deon S`Thembiso Carl Dhlomo (38)          4th Floor Rosebank Corner, 191    
                                             Jan Smuts Avenue                   
Parktown North, 2193,              
                                             Johannesburg, South Africa         
Executive directors                                                             
Mr. Michael Solomon Teke (45) (Chief          Unit B1003, Marlborough Gate,     
Executive Office)                             Hyde Park Lane                    
                                             Hyde Park 2196, Johannesburg,      
                                             South Africa                       
Mr. Douglas Robert Gain (33) - (Finance       Unit B1003, Marlborough Gate,     
Director)                                     Hyde Park Lane, Hyde Park 2196,   
                                             Johannesburg, South Africa         
Mr. Henry Christo White (48) - (Operations    Unit B1003, Marlborough Gate,     
Director)                                     Hyde Park Lane, Hyde Park 2196,   
Johannesburg, South Africa         
6.   Salient dates and times                                                    
                                          2010                                  
Opening date of the Offer at 09:00 on      Thursday, 11 March                   
Publication of the prospectus              Thursday, 11 March                   
Last date for indication of interest for   Tuesday, 23 March                    
the purpose of the bookbuild at 14:00 on                                        
Expected closing of the Offer at 17:00     Tuesday, 23 March                    
on                                                                              
Offer price released on SENS               Wednesday, 24 March                  
Offer price published in the press         Thursday, 25 March                   
Settlement and proposed listing date on    Monday, 29 March                     
the JSE                                                                         
7.   Share capital                                                              
On listing, the authorised share capital of Optimum Coal will be R10,000 divided
into 2,000,000,000 ordinary shares of R0.000005 each and the issued share       
capital will comprise 248,488,443 fully paid ordinary shares of R0.000005 each, 
amounting to R1,242 with a share premium of R2,547 million, all shares ranking  
pari passu. There will be no other class of shares in issue by the Issuer at the
Listing Date.                                                                   
8.   Copies of the prospectus                                                   
This prospectus is only available in English and copies thereof may be obtained 
during normal business hours from Thursday, 11 March 2010 until Monday, 22 March
2010 from the Issuer, Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc, J.P. Morgan       
Equities Limited and Rand Merchant Bank, a division of FirstRand Bank Limited,  
at their respective physical addresses which appear below:                      
The registered office of Optimum    The office of Rand Merchant                 
Coal:                               Bank:                                       
Unit B1003, Marlborough Gate        1 Merchant Place                            
Hyde Park Lane                      Cnr Rivonia Road and Fredman                
Hyde Park 2196                      Drive                                       
Johannesburg                        Sandton 2196                                
South Africa                        Johannesburg                                
                                   South Africa                                 
                                                                                
The office of JP Morgan:            The office of Morgan Stanley:               
1 Fricker Road, corner Hurlingham   25 Cabot Square                             
Road                                Canary Wharf                                
Illovo                              London E14 4QA                              
Johannesburg, 2196                  United Kingdom                              
South Africa                                                                    
Johannesburg                                                                    
11 March 2010                                                                   
Joint bookrunners and managers                                                  
Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc                                          
J.P. Morgan Equities Limited                                                    
Rand Merchant Bank, a division of FirstRand Bank Limited                        
Stabilisation Manager                                                           
FirstRand Limited                                                               
Merchant bank and sponsor                                                       
Rand Merchant Bank, a division of FirstRand Bank Limited                        
Attorneys                                                                       
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP                                                       
Werksmans Attorneys                                                             
Reporting accountants and auditors                                              
KPMG                                                                            
Date: 11/03/2010 07:28:20 Produced by the JSE SENS Department.                  
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