Atlas to boost coal sales following dismal performance

By Thomas Sembiring

IDX-listed coal mining firm PT Atlas Resources Tbk aims to boost coal sales volume this year following depressing performance last year caused by weak price of the commodity.

As coal price has now improved, Atlas plans to bolster sales volume this year to around 2.45 million tons from realized sales volume of only 291,000 tons last year, said Lidwina S. Nugraha, Independent Director at the company.

?Realized (sales volume) last year was 291,000 tons. It?s quite small because the price was very bad,? Lidwina told Petromindo.com on Wednesday, but did not disclose the realized output last year and target for this year.

She said that the company will supply its coal to state-owned electricity firm PT PLN and partly for the export market. Coal destined for the overseas markets will be handled by trading company Noble Group. No further details were provided.

In December of last year, Atlas said it was planning to produce around 3 million tons of coal in 2017 from its mines in South Sumatra and East Kalimantan. The company produces coal with CV of 4,200 kcal/kg GAR.

Editing by Reiner Simanjunta