Perkasa Inakakerta to commence production mid-2005

East Kalimantan coal miner PT. Perkasa Inakerta is ready to enter commercial production stage mid-2005, company president said.

?Construction is near completion and we are currently trying to market Perkasa?s coal products to local power plants, ASEAN countries and China,? said Soehandojo.

Soehandojo said that in 2005 Perkasa would produce 500,000 million tons of coal, ramping up to 1 million tons the following year.

Perkasa?s mining concession is located near PT Kaltim Prima Coal?s Bengalon mine. KPC and Perkasa had been in talks over the possibility to jointly build coal terminal in Bengalon. Soehandojo told Petromindo.Com earlier that Perkasa would be able to produce 3-4 million tons per year if coal port was built.

Perkasa?s mining area contains a sub bituminous coal of around one hundred million tons in mineable reserves.

Perkasa is 70 percent owned by PT Kaltim Bara Sentosa, while Low Tuck Kwong and Soehandojo hold 15 percent each, according to the government official?s data. (godang)