Rains cut down Indonesia?s coal production: APBI

Indonesia?s coal production dropped to 80 million tonnes in the first quarter of this year from 90 million tonnes in the same period a year earlier as frequent rains hampered mining activities at the country?s major coal mines.

Bob Komandanu, the chairman of the association of Indonesian coal mining companies (APBI) said in Jakarta on Tuesday that the production fell sharply in January and February due to frequent rains.

He said that the mining activities grew in March but the level of the production was still below the monthly average. Bob, however, is optimistic that the association?s target to produce 330 million tonnes this year can be achieved despite the fall in the production in the January to March period.

Bob said that the association?s members expected to carry out more mining activities in the second quarter in a bid to increase the production. He hoped that the rains would begin to decline in the second quarter so that the mining companies could carry out more mining activities. (*)