Coal firm raises output

Coal firm raises output

JAKARTA (JP): The state-owned coal mining company PT Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam produced 8.16 million tons of coal last year and booked Rp 542 billion (US$235.65 million) in revenues, said the company's president, R.A. Sunardi.

Sunardi was quoted on Tuesday by Antara in Tanjung Enim, South Sumatra, as saying that last year's production was 20 percent larger than the 6.7 million tons produced in 1994.

The 1995 output was also much higher than the 7.33 million ton production target set for that year.

He said its Tanjung Enim and Ombilin mines, both in South Sumatra, contributed 6.97 million tons and 1.2 million tons respectively to last year's output.

Sunardi said Bukit Asam's coal exports increased by over 80 percent to 1.9 million tons last year from 1.1 million tons in 1994.

"We expanded our export of coal to the Asia-Pacific and European countries," he said without mentioning the export value.

His company expects to produce 8.7 million tons this year, an increase of seven percent over last year's production.

Bukit Asam is now developing four new mines in Tanjung Enim to supply the three new units (V, VI and VII) at the Suralaya coal- fired power station in West Java.

The four new mines will expand Bukit Asam's annual capacity to 13.5 million tons in 1998 from 6.7 million tons at present. (04)