South Kalimantan targets 60 million ton coal production

The South Kalimantan administration is targeting to produce some 60 million tons of coal in 2001 in a bid to increase the province's export revenue, according to the Bisnis Indonesia daily.

The paper quoted South Kalimantan Governor Syachril Darham as saying that the main export market for the coal production would still be Asia, but added that the administration was currently eying the U.S. market.

"To catch up our export target, the supply of coal from here must not stop, because if we stop, buyers would seek for other producers," Syachril said.

He stressed that the coal production volume in 2001 must be increased to at least 60 million tons.

South Kalimantan coal production in 1998 totaled 15 million tons, and soared to 33.5 million tons in 1999 produced by some 150 coal mining companies. (*)