Re Joint Venture

Anglo American PLC
20 October 2004


JOINT NEWS RELEASE: Anglo American plc and Kumba Resources Limited



   Anglo American and Kumba sign Heads of Agreement to develop new Queensland
                              coking coal mine


Anglo American plc and its South African subsidiary Kumba Resources Limited
announced today that Anglo Coal Australia (Anglo Coal) and Kumba Australia Pty
Ltd (Kumba) have signed a Heads of Agreement (HoA) that could lead to the
development of a major coking coal mine in central Queensland, Australia.

The HoA covers the investigation into the joint development of Kumba's Moranbah
South Mining Development Lease (MDL) in combination with the southern portion of
Anglo Coal's adjacent Grosvenor lease. These areas are located to the south of
the township of Moranbah in the Bowen Basin coalfield of central Queensland. The
coalfield hosts extensive high grade coking coal resources that already support
several large mining operations, including the nearby Anglo Coal mine of
Moranbah North.

Kumba inherited its Moranbah South MDL from Iscor, which conducted exploration
of the property during the 1990s, prior to the separation of its mining
interests in 2001 to form Kumba.

An extensive exploration and evaluation programme, to be funded by Anglo Coal as
part of the HoA, will commence immediately, leading to the development of a
feasibility study.



Further information:

Anglo American - London
Investor Relations                                   Media Relations
Nick von Schirnding                                  Kate Aindow
Tel: [phone]                             Tel: [phone]

Anglo American - Johannesburg
Investor Relations                                   Media Relations
Anne Dunn                                            Marion Dixon
Tel: [phone]                              Tel: [phone]

Anglo Coal Australia
David Groves
General Manager: Human Resources & Public Affairs
Tel: [phone]

Kumba Resources                                      Kumba Australia
Trevor Arran                                         Jacques du Plessis
General Manager: Investor Relations                  Managing Director
Tel: [phone]                              Tel: [phone]
Mobile: [phone]                           Mobile: [phone]



Notes to Editors:

Anglo American plc with its subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates is a
global leader in the mining and natural resource sectors. It has significant and
focused interests in gold, platinum, diamonds, coal, base metals, ferrous metals
and industries, industrial minerals and paper and packaging as well as financial
and technical strength. The Group is geographically diverse, with operations in
Africa, Europe, South and North America and Australia and Asia.
(www.angloamerican.co.uk)

Kumba Resources Limited is one of the largest South African-based mining
companies listed on the JSE Securities Exchange, is a focused metals and mining
company with a diverse commodity portfolio consisting of iron ore, heavy
minerals, coal, base metals and industrial minerals.  www.kumbaresources.com


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange