KEM to stop gold mining in E. Kalimantan end-April
Saturday, April 26 2003 - 01:49 AM WIB
Gold miner PT Kelian Equatorial Mining (KEM) will stop its mining activities in East Kalimantan at the end of this month, and will concentrate on processing gold ores until it closes its mine in the area at the end of 2004, Bisnis Indonesia daily reported Saturday.
?From end-April we will concentrate on processing gold ores,? KEM?s spokesman Yudi Purwandi told the paper Friday.
Yudi said that his company had begun reclamation program on its mining sites in West Kutai, East Kalimantan.
KEM had decided to stop gold production in East Kalimantan as gold reserves in its contract area in West Kutai regency are exhausted. Commercial production started in 1992.
The company?s gold mine has an annual output of 14 tons of gold and 12 tons of silver.
KEM is 90 percent owned by world mining giant Rio Tinto. (*)