UT?s 9-month coal sales increase

Indonesian listed heavy equipment distributor PT United Tractors (UT) Tbk said on Thursday that the January-September coal sales of its coal mineing units reached 1.974 million tons, a slight increase from 1.81 million tons in the same period of last year.

The increasing output is attributed to the operation of new coal unit PT Tuah Turangga Agung (TTA) in Central Kalimantan. Starting commercial sales in May 2010, TTA has sold 164,251 tons of coal by the end of September, the company said in statement.

Other coal unit PT Dasa Eka Jasatama (DEJ) in South Kalimantan sold 1.81 million tons in nine months of the year, equal to the same period of last year.

Despite the increased sales volume, the mining business unit booked a decline in revenue by 4 percent from Rp 2.22 trillion (1US$ = Rp 8,935) to Rp 2.13 trillion, due to the strengthening of rupiah against the US dollar.

The company?s mining contractor unit PT Pamapersada Nusantara (Pama) produced 56.8 million tons of coal in the first nine months of 2010, up 17 percent compared to the same period of last year. It removed 480.2million bcm of overburden, up 10 percent from the same period of last year, despite being hampered by heavy rainfall.

The higher production and overburden removal are reflected in Pama?s increased revenue, from Rp 10.99 trillion in the same period of last year to Rp 12.52 trillion this year, up 14 percent. (denny)