Nickel shipped to Pomalaa

JAKARTA (JP): Publicly listed mining company PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) had made the first shipment of nickel ore from Gee Island to its ferronickel plant in Pomalaa, Maluku, the company said yesterday.

The company said in a statement that it shipped 10,000 tons of nickel ore from its trial production on Gee Island to Pomalaa.

Gee Island is situated in the Halmahera Islands, Maluku, where Antam has discovered a 4.4 million-ton mineable nickel ore deposit.

Antam was awarded a contract by the government to mine the deposit for 30 years.

Antam will produce 425,000 tons of nickel ore per year on Gee Island.

The Halmahera Islands are known to be rich in nickel deposits, where Antam discovered a total 17.5 million tons of nickel ore, the statement said. (jsk)