Adaro to raise coal output

JAKARTA (JP): Coal mining company PT Adaro Indonesia plans to raise output to 14 million metric tons next year from 10.7 million tons this year, the company said on Monday.

The South Kalimantan-based company will further increase output to 17 million tons in 2000, company operations manager Putu Sastrawan was quoted by Antara as saying.

Putu said the company had a coal reserve of 1.37 billion tons in its contract areas covering the Tabalong and Hulusungai Utara regencies. Only 35 million tons of the reserve have been extracted since the company started operations in 1991.

It currently exports about 75 percent of its output, mainly to Europe, Asia and South America. The remaining 25 percent is sold on the domestic market.

Adaro is 50 percent owned by Australia's New Hope Corporation and the remaining shares belong to the Tirtamas Group, controlled by Hashim Djojohadikusumo, and the Raja Garuda Mas group, controlled by Sukanto Tanoto. (jsk)