Garda Tujuh to maintain 2015 output at 3m ton

By Donald Haromunthe

IDX-listed coal mining company PT Garda Tujuh Buana Tbk said that it plans to produce 3 million tons of coal next year, the same with the original target for 2014.

?Without having to spend additional capex, we will increase the capacity of the jetty to load coal from 800 tons up to 1,000 tons per hour in a bid to fulfill the target,? said company Commissioner Pardeep Dhir to Petromindo.com.

Pardeep added that India will continue to be the market for the company?s coal, which has calorific value of 2,700 kcal/kg (GAR) and 60 percent total moisture.

Per November 2014, Garda Tujuh had produced about 2.2 million tons of coal. The number is much lower than the 3 million tons target for the full-year as rainy season and the Indonesian government new export permit policy hampered production.

?However, we?re still able to sell 2.5 million ton of coal for this year, of which some additional stock came from the stockpile since we have not exported for three months, from August to October?, Pardeep said.

Garda Tujuh produces low rank coal at its Pulau Bunyu concession, in Bulungan Regency, East Kalimantan. The mine has coal resources of about 300 million tons and coal reserves of about 168 million tons.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak