Ministry sees 5-6 more firms may apply for nickel export permit
Friday, September 1 2017 - 09:23 AM WIB
Petromindo|Thomas
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said that while there is currently no new application for low grade nickel ore export permit, it anticipated that up to six mining firms may apply for new permit toward the end of this year.
This was said by Director of Mineral Management and Development at the ministry, Bambang Susigit on Wednesday. ?Going forward, I think 5-6 companies may apply (for export permit),? he said, but did not disclose which companies will seek for low grade nickel ore export permit.
He said that since the ministry introduced a new regulation allowing miners to resume export of low grade nickel ores with purity of less than 1.7 percent earlier this year, it has issued export recommendation permits for seven companies.
He did not disclose the name of the companies. But according to Petromindo.com data, companies which have obtained permit to export low grade nickel ores include IDX-listed mining firm PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (Antam), PT Mulia Pacific Resource (a subsidiary of IDX-listed PT Central Omega Resources Tbk), PT Trimegah Bangun Persada, PT Gane Permai Sentosa (both part of Harita Group), PT Ceria Nugraha Indotama, and PT Fajar Bhakti Lintas Nusantara. Meanwhile, PT Dinamika Sejahtera Mandiri has been given permit to export washed bauxite.
Central Omega has said that it was also seeking permit for another subsidiary PT Itamara Nusantara to be able to export low grade nickel ore. IDX-listed engineering and construction company PT Bukaka Teknik Utama Tbk has also recently said it was preparing to apply for export permit for its subsidiary PT Bukaka Mandiri Sejahtera, which operates nickel mines in South Sulawesi.
Director General of Coal and Mineral at the ministry Bambang Gatot Ariyono said recently that construction of two additional nickel smelters are set to be completed soon, each developed by PT COR Industri and PT Bintang Smelter Indonesia, respectively in Central and Southeast Sulawesi provinces. These companies will then be eligible to get export permit for low grade nickel ores.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak