Bengkulu could not meet its mining output target

Bengkulu cannot meet its mining production output for last year as many of mining companies licensed to do mining in the province had not even started their mining activities, officials said on Monday (March 26).

The head of the Bengkuku administration's mining office, Suratman, said that his office targeted a total mining output of 1 million metric tons of minerals last year, but only 600,000 metric tons were mined from Bengkulu last year.

He added that his office had licensed 14 coal mining companies and one gold mining company, PT Lusang Mining, but only a few of them had really done mining activities. Many others only fell trees in their concession areas, after that, they abandoned their areas.

Lusang Mining, the only gold mining company licensed to operate in North Bengkulu, had stopped its activities when it started to enter its tenth level of its mining operation, namely in the construction level. The company did not give clear explanation on the stoppage of its mining activities.

Suratman, accompanied by the head of the general mining section, Zulkifli Abdullah, said only three coal mining companies were still conducting their mining activities in Bengkulu. They are Bangun Prima Mandiri Cooperative, PT Elyaz Elyuda and PT Yasiga Sarana Utama. These three companies produce an average of 100,000 metric tons of coal per annum.

Meanwhile, two largest coal-mining companies in Bengkulu, PT Danay Mas Himan and PT Bukit Bara Utama, had stopped their operation because of their internal problems. But they had promised to resume their operation soon.

Suratman said that the operation stoppage of these two largest mining companies had affected mining output in Bengkulu last year.

He noted that Bengkulu had a huge coal reserves, enough to be mined until the next 20 years.(*)