GTB to start coal production in September

East Kalimantan coal miner PT Garda Tujuh Benua (GTB) planned to commence coal production in September this year, an official at the company said.

?We are in the process of constructing the mining site including a jetty facility. We hope that all construction works will be finished by September,? GTB?s staff Imsan told Petromindo.Com.

According to Imsan, production for the first three-month was expected to reach 300,000 metric tons. ?We planned to produce around 1.2 million tons in the first year of commercial production,? he said earlier this week.

GTB?s mining concession is located on Bunyu Island, East Kalimantan. Its coalmine contains a coal-measured reserve of around 108 million tons with calorific value ranging from 4,900 ? 5,000 kcal/kg.

Imsan said the company would use trucks to transport the products from mine site to jetty port. The distance between the two locations is about 4 kilometers. ?The products therefore will be shipped using transshipment method,? Imsan added.

Elsewhere, an industry source said on Tuesday that GTB had signed a memorandum of understanding with Anker Coal Company BV of Rotterdam to allow the former to supply coal to the latter. But the source declined to provide details. (robert/alex)