Mega Alam Sejahtera to start production from Kalimantan coal mine Q4

Coal miner PT Mega Alam Sejahtera (MAS) plans to commence production from its Berau, East Kalimantan mine in the fourth quarter of this year with initial output capacity of 40,000 tonnes per month.

Hari Purnomo, Operations, HR and Admin Director of PT. Modal Investasi Mineral (MIM), which controls 70 percent shares of MAS told Petromindo.Com in a Wednesday interview that construction at the mine would be completed within 2-3 months’ time. MIM is a unit of JSX-listed mining firm ATPK Resources.

MAS will build 350 tonnes per hour crushing plant and conveyor belt, which could load coal to barge at the rate of 800 tonnes per hour. MAS said it would initially build 2 kilometers hauling road from mine to Sungai Segah river port, extendable to 10 kilometers as mining area expanded. The port would be able to serve up to 270 feet-long barges with capacity of up to 5,000 tonnes. Stockpile would be built in port with capacity of 30,000-40,000 tonnes.

In the first phase MAS would mine coal in 700 hectares area called block 1 and 6, with measured reserves of 14.1 million tones. Stripping ratio would be 1:4 in the first year and between 1:6-7 in the following years, he said. MAS has nine blocks of reserves in 3,200 hectares of land with total resources of 41 MT, based on detailed study conducted by Australian-based firm Steffen Robertson and Kirsten (SRK) Consultant Pty Ltd.

Coal produced from the mine has CV range of 4,800-5,000 Kcal/kg (adb).

Currently MAS in talks with three local mining contractor candidates, he said.

Purnomo said currently MAS is participating in coal supply tender to PLN’s planned Amurang Barat and Ilangota power plants in North Sulawesi, both have capacity of 2x25MW each.

Purnomo also said MAS is in coal supply talks with Philippine’s PNOC, India’s Aditya Birla Group and a number of other potential buyers. (denny)