NT Holding to build rinsing plant at E. Kalimantan mine

Hong Kong firm NT Holding said on Monday that its 70 percent subsidiary PT. Borneo Mineral would build a coal rinsing plant in its Sebulu mine in East Kalimantan withsamples analysis from its Sebulu mine in East Kalimantan to increase the coal quality.

The company said analysis showed that the majority of the undesirable ashes from Sebulu raw coal are small-size fraction, which meant that coal quality improvement could be achieved through rinsing the coal with water, and crush and screen it.

"It is not necessary to have a conventional dense-medium coal washing plant, which is much more expensive to construct and to operate. Instead, a coal rinsing plant will be sufficient," the company said.

The company said PT Borneo would be able to produce higher quality coal with the rinsing plant facilities and to increase revenue by US$1.5 per ton.

The company completed the mine's acquisition in May 2006. Sebulu concession has a total of area of 19,191 hectares and an estimated saleable reserve of coal of approximately 22 million tons.

NT Holding, through its subsidiaries, invests in and operates companies in China that engage in energy and natural resources businesses. NTHH is based in Hong Kong and operates subsidiaries in China and Indonesia on energy and natural resources projects.(alex)