KPC reports 1Q coal output at 3.2m tons
Wednesday, April 25 2001 - 04:30 AM WIB
Anglo-American mining giant Rio Tinto reported Tuesday the coal output of its Indonesian unit PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) reached 3.2 million tons in the first quarter of this year, against 2.3 million tons in the same period last year.
The first quarter production level, however, was much lower than the fourth quarter 2000 output which reached 4.5 million tons.
Rio Tinto said in its quarterly report obtained by Petromindo.com the production for the first quarter was hampered by heavy rainfall, strike at a major shovel contract maintenance company which involved a blockade of facilities and several key mining areas by local villagers.
Earlier, the company executive said that labor strike at hovel contract still continued, slashing the company's production capacity by 30 percent to 35,000 tons a day.
KPC, Indonesia' second largest coal producer, operates an open pit mining in the Sangatta regency, East Kalimantan. KPC is equally owned by Rio Tinto and Anglo-American energy giant Beyond Petroleum (BP). The company sets 2001 production target at 15 million tons.(Alex)