TAJ's coal output drops by 52%

South Kalimantan coal miner PT Tanjung Alam Jaya (TAJ), a coal unit of state tin miner PT Timah, said its coal production in the first semester of this year decreased by 52 percent to 427,138 tons from 883,686 tons in the same period of last year.

Despite lower coal production, TAJ obtained a higher net profit in the first semester due to the increase in average coal selling price to US$ 78 per tons from $27 per tons in the same period of last year, the parent company said in its website on Tuesday.

Net profit in the period reached Rp 46.63 billion (1 US$ = Rp 9.900), up 65 percent compared to the same period of last year, it said.

TAJ is expected to produce 850,000 tons of coal this year.

TAJ operates a 6,000-hectare coal mine in Banjar regency, producing coal with calorific value of approximately 6,500 Kcal/kg, with works carried out by two mining contractors PT Kalimantan Prima Persada (KPP) and PT Lambang Daya Agrima (LDA), .

Timah acquired TAJ in 2003. (bernard)