Timah focused on offshore mining

Tin mining company PT Timah Tbk will be focused on offshore areas to exploit tin ore as many parts of inland concession areas have been occupied by small-scale inconventional miners.

Company spokesman Abrun Abu Bakar said on Thursday at the company's home base in Pangkal Pinang, Bangka-Belitung province that the world's largest tin producer was now facing difficulties to expand its inland operations since many parts of the concessions have been either controlled by small-scale miners or turned into residential areas.

Furthermore, tin reserves have been much depleted on the islands of Bangka and Belitung as tin mining operations on both islands have been running for more than 200 years.

That's why Timah is now focusing attention to the offshore areas around the islands, particularly areas with the depth of up to 70 meters below sea level.

Timah has been exploiting tin in water areas since early 1990s. But, thus far, the dredgers that the company operates can only exploit tin to the depth of 50 meters below sea level.

Abrun said the company had ordered a dredger from the Netherlands that can exploit tins from the depth of more than 50 meters below sea level around both islands, where tin reserves are estimated to reach 100,000 metric tons. (*)