Antam upbeat 2010 gold, nickel production target can be achieved

State owned mining company Aneka Tambang (Antam) is upbeat that production of gold and ferronickel will meet the company?s target this year as realized production in the first nine months of this year has almost reached the targets.

Antam?s president director Alwinsyah Loebis said in Jakarta on Wednesday that the production of ferronickel during the January-September period had already reached a total of 13,875 tons, or about 75 percent of the target of 18,500 tons.

With the production results in the first nine months, the company is optimistic it will be able to meet the ferronickel production target.

He also said that the gold production is on track to meet the company?s 2010 target of 2,580 kg and additional 500 kg from Cibaliung project.

In the first semester of this year, gold production from Pongkor mine in West Java rose by 2 percent to 1,382 kg. The Cibaliung gold mine, which started production end of May this year, has produced a total of 30 kg until the end of June.

The Cibalung mine has the capacity to produce up to 2 tons a year. (denny)