Utilization of Aneka Tambang's gold processing plant reaches 55 percent
Wednesday, March 14 2001 - 05:00 AM WIB
The utilization of a gold processing plant belonging to state mining firm PT Aneka Tambang has reached 55 percent out of its processing capacity of 75 tons of gold ore per annum, according to company processing unit general manager Achmad Sukmana.
He noted that the low utilization of the processing plant was because of the still low level of gold ore output by Aneka Tambang and other gold mining companies using the processing unit.
"We are optimistic that the utilization will increase in the coming years," Sukmana said.
Sukmana predicted that gold ore output from Aneka Tambang's Pongkor gold mining field would increase in the coming years, and this would significantly improve the utilization level of Aneka Tambang's gold processing plant.
He noted that the existing gold processing had actually processing capacity of about 45 tons of gold ore per annum. But when demands for gold increases, and the production of gold ore also increases, it would be easy for Aneka Tambang to boost its processing plant's capacity to 75 tons of gold ore per annum.
He vowed to make the gold processing plant to become a profit center for Aneka Tambang. One of the way to achieve it was through cooperation with pawn houses and the Association of Indonesian Gold and Jewelry Producers to promote the use of gold in the society. (*)