Rio Tinto sees nickel production from Sulawesi mine to start 2015
Monday, December 17 2007 - 03:55 PM WIB
Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto said on Monday it was in final contract negotiation to develop La Samphala nickel mine at Central Sulawesi.
The company said in a release that the mine would run at an initial operation of 46,000 tonnes per year of ferronickel with first production commencing by 2015.
?There is additional potential at Sulawesi of a similar size,? the company said.
Rio Tinto and Indonesian government had been negotiating for years with tax and forestry issue as main hurdles.
Rio Tinto will spend US$1.25 billion to bring the project onstream. (alex)