The products from beneficiation present themselves at opposite ends of the spectrum, and yet numerous synergies exist in the preparation of coking coal and hematite iron ore products for their common export markets. Returning to the coal side of the business with Anglo Coal following a five-year sojourn in WA with Hamersley Iron, has provided the opportunity for comparing and contrasting some of the key synergies of the supply chains of both bulk commodities._x000D_
Comparisons include consideration of things like: resource evaluation (especially quality aspects), run-of-mine handling and preparation, beneficiation, product handling and transportation, quality assurance and customer awareness, value-in-use and impacts on iron and steelmaking, and supply chain environmental aspects._x000D_
Inherent within these are several other notable contrasts including: seams' and orebodies', rocks and minerals, rejects and tailings, oxidation and weathering, suppliers and users, and marketing and purchasing, to name but a few._x000D_
This paper covers some of the more interesting of these synergies and raises some potential opportunities for sharing knowledge and innovation between the two areas of activity in the future.