Bumi?s coal reserves slightly decrease

PT Bumi Resources Tbk, the country?s largest coal miner, said its coal reserves reached 2.860 billion tonnes as of January 2011, down 2 percent from 2.904 billion in September 2008.

The reserve however increased 107 percent if compared with reserve figure of 1.4 billion tonnes in September 2007. The reserve reached 1.1 billion tonnes in 2005, the company said a presentation filed with the Indonesia Stock Exchange.

Coal resources rose 29 percent to 10.024 billion tonnes in January 2011 from 7.782 billion in September 2008. Total reserve and resources have thus increased 21 percent to 12.884 billion tonnes in January 2011, from 10.689 billion tonnes in September 2008, the company said.

The company has ?large potential for reserves expansion? as its largest coal subsidiary, PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) has been ?only partially explored?. Other coal subsidiaries of the firm are PT Arutmin Indonesia, Fajar Bumi Sakti (FBS) and PT Pendopo Energi Batubara (PEB)

Of the 2.860 billion tonnes reserves, KPC holds 1.422 billion, Arutmin 469 million tonnes, FBS 282 million tonnes, PEB 687 million tonnes. Of the 10.042 billion tonnes resources, 7.508 billion tonnes are held by KPC, 1.796 billion tonnes by Arutmin, 305 by FBS, 415 by PEB.

The firm produced an estimated 60 million tonnes of coal last year and has made a plan to increase its output to 100 million tonnes per year. (Johannes/Kanti)