Churchill announces E. Kalimantan coal discovery
Saturday, April 7 2007 - 05:00 AM WIB
The company said it had drilled 10 holes, eight of which intersected coal seams greater than or equal to 0.5 metres in thickness, including 19.25 metres seam. ?Apart from the high success rate of coal intercepts, the programme was notable because seven out of the 10 holes also intersected multiple coal seams,? the company said.
Drill core taken from the project was subsequently sent for analysis at Intertek Caleb Brett?s laboratory in Samarinda, East Kalimantan. The provisional results from those samples tested so far indicate the coal type to be sub-bituminous with calorific values (air dried basis) ranging from 4,542-5,506 kcal/kg (average 5,096 kcal/kg), a total sulphur range of 0.10-0.22% (average 0.14%), an ash range of 1.82-15.86% (average 6.58%) and an inherent moisture content of between 11.96-21.44% (average 17.47%).
?We are encouraged by the low sulphur, low ash nature of the coal being intersected at East Kutai which is now finding new markets both as a primary coal and a blending stock,? Paul Mazak, Joint Managing Director of Churchill Mining, said. ?It is still early days but we are delighted we?ve hit such solid thicknesses and repetitions of coal in our first programme.?
The drilling programme at East Kutai is being conducted as part of verification work being undertaken by Churchill designed to test the quality and continuity of coal outcrop targets identified in field work by the Company?s consulting groups PT Rimeneco Geological and Mining Services and GMT Indonesia. Churchill has signed a 12-month Exclusivity Agreement with the owners of the East Kutai project, PT Techno Coal Utama.
The East Kutai project area covers approximately 399 square kilometers made up of two blocks and is situated 110 kilometres northwest of the main population centre of Sangatta in the Regency of East Kutai. (alex)