Rio Tinto's KEM increases gold and silver production in Q2
Thursday, July 18 2002 - 01:23 PM WIB
Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto Plc said on Thursday concentrate production of its Kalimantan based unit gold miner PT. Kelian Equatorial Mining (KEM) had increased to some 1.8 million tons in the second quarter of 2002.
The 1.8 million tons contained 128,000 ounces of gold and 89 ounces of silver, Rio Tinto said.
It said in the first quarter of this year, KEM produced around 1.7 tons of concentrate, which contained 114,000 ounces of gold, and 88 ounces of silver.
Rio Tinto said KEM's production increase had been due to stabilized cracking in the ball mill shell.
It added KEM had sold 125,000 ounces of gold and 256,000 of silver in the second quarter of 2002.
KEM, owned 90 percent by Rio Tinto, has since 1992 operated a gold mine in Kelian in West Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan. KEM will be winding down its mining activities over the period of 2001-2003 and will close its operations in 2004. (robert)