KMC developing underground project in South Kalimantan

By Cepi Setiadi

PT. Kopex Mining Contractors (KMC), a subsidiary of Warsaw-listed mining technology provider Kopex Group, is currently developing a number of underground projects for several coal mining companies in Kalimantan.

Marek Rosa, Technical Mining Analyst of KMC told to Petromindo.com that the company is developing one underground project at PT Transcoal Minergy?s (TCM) underground coal mine in Batulicin South Kalimantan and another one at PT Bayan Resources' coal mine in South Kalimantan.

Rosa said that at the TCM project in Batulicin, KMC is targeting to produce at least 2 million tons per year, while at Bayan Resources the company is eyeing a 5 million ton annual production. With such scales of production, the underground projects are considered economical.

"Once the projects have successfully started operation, they will be the first underground projects using Long Wall System in Indonesia," he said.

He said the long wall system has up to two kilometers long tunnel. The system has been used in Europe and Australia but has not been adopted yet in Indonesia.

Editing by Johannes Simbolon