(EnergyAsia, February 1 2012, Wednesday) — Australia’s Universal Coal plc said it expects it expects to be strengthened by recent developments at its coking coal projects in northern South Africa.

At a recent media briefing in Johannesburg, chairman Tony Harwood said its two early-stage coking coal exploration projects in Limpopo province will be a major focus for the company in 2012 alongside its more advanced thermal coal projects.

He said the coking coal project in Berenice-Cygnus is scheduled to begin a second round of drilling soon while a scoping study is already under way.

Berenice-Cygnus, in the emerging Soutpansberg area near the Mozambique and Zimbabwe borders, is located 30km from a railway siding linked to both Maputo and Richards Bay ports.

Listed on the ASX in December 2010, Universal said it remains focused on its three thermal coal projects in Witbank while seeking to develop its coking coal projects.