TABLE OF CONTENTS. No. Title Media Source Page

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Daily News Update Page 1

PT Freeport Indonesia's President Director Tony Wenas then opened up about the benefits and contributions that PTFI has made to the country, including the company's contributions while operating in the country. According to him, since the contract regime to the Special Mining Business Permit (IUPK), his party has contributed up to Rp 290 T.

"In the past, we said that the economic contribution was not enough. For example, for state revenue, from 1992 to 2020 it was US$ 21 billion or around Rp. 290 trillion, it was directly in the form of cash, dividend tax, royalties, and other fees," said Tony to detikcom some time ago.

In addition, he explained that there were also indirect benefits, such as domestic purchases, payment of salaries in Indonesia, and the Community Develop- ment Program, which totaled US$ 49 billion from 1992.

"If people ask what this is, yes, actually taxes and royalties will go back to the regions, some rich examples of 80%

royalties go back to the regions, and from a corporate tax perspective, corporate income tax will return to the regions in the form of a General Allocation Fund (DAU) and the Special Allocation Fund (DAK), moreover there is a special autonomy fund," he explained.

Freeport Sudah Setor Rp 290 T ke RI Sejak 1992

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T FREEPORT Indonesia sudah lebih dari 5 dekade menambang tembaga dan emas di Mimika, Papua. Dimulai dari Kontrak Karya (KK) untuk Tambang Erstberg pada 1967, Tambang Grasberg pada 1991, dan kini berlanjut di underground mine atau tambang bawah tanah.

Presiden Direktur PT Freeport Indonesia Tony Wenas lantas buka-bukaan soal manfaat dan kontribusi apa saja yang telah dilakukan PTFI ke negara, termasuk setoran perusahaan selama beroperasi di Tanah Air. Menurutnya, sejak rezim kontrak hingga Izin Usaha Pertambangan Khusus (IUPK) pihaknya sudah menyumbang hingga Rp 290 T.

"Kalau dibilang kontribusi ekonomi memang kami yang kurang banyak memberitahukan di masa lalu. Contohnya misalnya bagi pendapatan negara, itu dari tahun 1992 sampai 2020 itu sebesar US$ 21 miliar atau sekitar Rp 290 T, itu langsung dalam bentuk tunai, pajak dividen, royalti, dan pungutan lain-lainnya," ujar Tony kepada detikcom beberapa waktu lalu.

Selain itu, dia menjabarkan ada juga manfaat tak langsung seperti berupa pembelian domestik, kemudian pembayaran gaji di Indonesia, dan juga Program Community Development itu totalnya mencapai US$ 49 miliar dari tahun 1992.

"Kan kalau ditanya ini masyarakat dapat apa, ya sebenarnya pajak dan royalti itu akan balik lagi ke daerah, sebagian kaya contoh royalti 80% balik ke daerah, dan kalau dari segi pajak badan, PPh badan akan kembali ke daerah dalam bentuk Dana Alokasi Umum (DAU) dan Dana Alokasi Khusus (DAK), apalagi ada dana otonomi khusus," jelasnya.

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Furthermore, he said, PTFI was committed to growing with the community from the start, this was done by establishing a special foundation for human resource development. According to him, from 1992 to 2020, PTFI has contributed around US$

1.8 billion or around Rp. 25 trillion to the community.

"So in the future, the average is 1 year, which is around Rp. 1 trillion, so it is managed by an institution called the Amungme Kamoro Community Empower- ment Foundation, so the program is determined with them, we only determine the guidelines which can and cannot be done," he said.

"So, for example, this health program from 96 years ago, 7 tribes in Mimika Regency received free treatment until today, starting from colds to major surgery, they are all free," he added.

Furthermore, Tony revealed that through this program PTFI has also provided thousands of scholarships to build infrastructure for community facilities.

"We have provided more than 10,000 scholarships, and the infrastructure we have built for the community includes 3,200 housing units, public and social facilities, there are 2 pioneering airstrips that we built in Tsinga village and Aroanop village, then also not counting the roads and bridges that we last built. The Mimika Sport Complex (MSC) that we built to be handed over to the local government can already be used for PON, then we also built the regent's office, so and many more," he concluded. (ega/hns)

Lebih lanjut, kata dia, PTFI sedari awal berkomitmen tumbuh bersama masyarakat, hal ini dilakukan dengan membangun yayasan khusus pengembangan SDM.

Menurutnya, sejak tahun 1992 sampai dengan tahun 2020, PTFI telah berkontri- busi sekitar US$ 1,8 miliar atau sekitar Rp 25 triliun kepada masyarakat.

"Jadi ke depannya itu rata-rata 1 tahun itu kira-kira Rp 1 triliun, jadi dikelola satu lembaga yang namanya Yayasan Pember- dayaan Masyarakat Amungme Kamoro, jadi programnya ditentukan bersama mereka, kami hanya menentukan guideline-nya yang mana boleh dan tidak boleh dilakukan," ungkapnya.

"Jadi contohnya misalnya program kesehatan ini dari tahun 96 itu masyarakat 7 suku di Kabupaten Mimika berobat gratis sampai dengan hari ini mulai dari masuk angin sampai operasi besar mereka semua gratis," imbuhnya.

Lebih lanjut, Tony mengungkap lewat program tersebut PTFI juga sudah memberikan ribuan beasiswa hingga membangun infrastruktur bagi fasilitas masyarakat.

"Beasiswa sudah lebih dari 10.000 yang kami berikan, dan infrastruktur yang kami bangun untuk masyarakat antara lain, 3.200 unit rumah, fasilitas umum dan sosial, ada 2 lapangan terbang perintis (airstrip) yang kami bangun di desa Tsinga dan di desa Aroanop, kemudian juga belum terhitung jalan dan jembatan yang terakhir kita kami bangun. Mimika Sport Complex (MSC) yang kami bangun untuk diserahkan kepada pemda sudah dapat digunakan untuk PON, kemudian kantor bupati juga kami bangun, jadi dan masih banyak lagi,"

pungkasnya. (ega/hns)

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Arutmin Indonesia holds coal export permit

Reporter: Filemon Agung | Editor:

Khomarul Hidayat

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HE MINISTRY of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) ensures that PT Bumi Resources Tbk (BUMI) subsidiary PT Arutmin Indonesia has again obtained a coal export permit.

Previously, Arutmin's name was included in the list of 34 coal companies that were subject to export ban sanctions because they were deemed not to have fulfilled their coal supply obligations for PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) and/or PT PLN Batubara for the period January 1 to July 31, 2021.

The Head of the ESDM Ministry's Information Working Group, Sony Heru Prasetyo, said that permission for Arutmin had been granted. Thus, now there are three companies that are allowed to re- export coal. The three companies are PT Arutmin Indonesia, PT Borneo Indobara and PT Bara Tabang.

"Arutmin has, as of last Sunday," said Sony to Kontan.co.id, Monday (23/8).

Previously, Director and Corporate Secretary of BUMI Dileep Srivastava said that in recent years Arutmin had fulfilled the Domestic Market Obligation (DMO) requirements. Even Dileep ensured that the same thing also applies for this year where his party has fulfilled the existing proportion.

He also added that a higher supply amount had also been agreed with PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN). Even today, sales activities are said to be proceeding normally.

Arutmin Indonesia kantongi izin ekspor batubara

Reporter: Filemon Agung | Editor:

Khomarul Hidayat

K

EMENTERIAN Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral (ESDM) memastikan anak usaha PT Bumi Resources Tbk (BUMI), PT Arutmin Indonesia telah kembali memperoleh izin ekspor batubara.

Sebelumnya, nama Arutmin masuk dalam daftar 34 perusahaan batubara yang dikenai sanksi larangan ekspor karena dianggap tidak memenuhi kewajiban pasokan batubara untuk PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) dan atau PT PLN Batubara periode 1 Januari hingga 31 Juli 2021.

Kepala Pokja Informasi Kementerian ESDM Sony Heru Prasetyo mengungkapkan izin untuk Arutmin sudah diberikan. Dengan demikian kini ada tiga perusahaan yang boleh melakukan ekspor batubara kembali.

Ketiga perusahaan ter sebut yakni PT Arutmin Indonesia, PT Borneo Indobara dan PT Bara Tabang.

"Arutmin sudah, per hari Minggu kemarin,"

ujar Sony kepada Kontan.co.id, Senin (23/8).

Sebelumnya, Direktur dan Sekretaris Per- usahaan BUMI Dileep Srivastava mengungkapkan dalam beberapa tahun terakhir Arutmin telah memenuhi persyaratan Domestic Market Obligation (DMO). Bahkan Dileep memastikan hal yang sama juga berlaku untuk tahun ini dimana pihaknya telah memenuhi besaran proporsi yang ada.

Ia pun menambahkan, jumlah pasokan lebih tinggi juga sudah disepakati dengan PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN). Bahkan saat ini, kegiatan penjualan disebut ber- langsung dengan normal.

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"A higher supply amount has been agreed with PLN from our unit and normal sales,"

Dileep told Kontan.co.id, Sunday (22/8).

"Jumlah pasokan yang lebih tinggi telah disepakati dengan PLN dari unit kami dan penjualan normal," terang Dileep kepada Kontan.co.id, Minggu (22/8).

Kobexindo Prints US$3.045 Million Net Profit

By: Ahmad Nabhani

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HE ISSUER of heavy equipment manufacturer, PT Kobexindo Tractors Tbk (KOBX) achieved a net profit of US$ 3.045 million in the first half of 2021 or improved compared to the same period in 2020 which recorded a net loss of US$

4.044 million. The result prompted the heavy equipment issuer to post basic earnings per share of US$ 0.00134. The information was conveyed by the company in an unaudited financial report published in Jakarta yesterday.

Meanwhile net income jumped 143.47%

on an annual basis to US$ 56,398 million.

In detail, heavy equipment revenue jumped 235.56% to US$ 43.33 million.

Meanwhile, spare parts revenue rose 26.31% to US$ 7.264 million. However, the cost of revenue swelled by 131.5 percent to US$ 44.81 million. So that gross profit jumped 205.12% to US$ 11.91 million.

Meanwhile, the company's assets shrank 2.6 percent to US$ 110.99 million. This was because short-term bank loans decreased 11.38% to US$ 46,785 million. Further- more, net cash obtained from operating activities was recorded at US$ 10.51 million, an improvement compared to the first semester of 2020 which recorded net cash used for operating activities of US$

6.73 million.

Kobexindo Cetak Laba Bersih US$3,045 Juta

Oleh: Ahmad Nabhani

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MITEN produsen alat berat, PT Kobexindo Tractors Tbk (KOBX) meraih laba bersih sebesar US$ 3,045 juta di semester pertama 2021 atau membaik dibandingkan periode sama tahun 2020 yang mencatat rugi bersih sebesar US$

4,044 juta. Hasil itu mendorong emiten alat berat itu membukukan laba per saham dasar senilai US$ 0,00134. Informasi tersebut disampaikan perseroan dalam laporan keuangan tanpa audit yang di- publikasi di Jakarta, kemarin.

Sementara pendapatan bersih melonjak 143,47% secara tahunan menjadi US$

56,398 juta. Rincinya, pendapatan alat berat melonjak 235,56% menjadi US$

43,33 juta. Sedangkan pendapatan suku cadang naik 26,31% menjadi US$ 7,264 juta. Namun, beban pokok pendapatan membengkak 131,5% menjadi US$ 44,81 juta. Sehingga laba kotor melonjak 205,12% menjadi US$ 11,91 juta.

Sementara itu, aset perseroan menyusut 2,6% menjadi US$ 110,99 juta. Hal itu karena pinjaman bank jangka pendek berkurang 11,38% menjadi US$ 46,785 juta. Selanjutnya, kas bersih yang diperoleh dari aktivitas operasi tercatat sebesar US$

10,51 juta atau membaik dibandingkan semester I 2020 yang mencatatkan kas bersih digunakan untuk aktivitas operasi senilai US$ 6,73 juta.

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Currently, the company has two heavy equipment sales segments, namely mining and non-mining heavy equipment. The Company will continue to strengthen the non-mining segment to strengthen the composition of revenue so that it is not too dependent on the mining sector. For this year, the company targets revenues of US$

71 million.

Saat ini, perseroan memiliki dua segmen penjualan alat berat yakni alat berat pertambangan dan non pertambangan.

Perseroan akan terus memperkuat segmen non pertambangan untuk memperkuat komposisi pendapatan sehingga tidak terlalu tergantung pada sektor pertambangan. Untuk tahun ini, perseroan menar- getkan pendapatan sebesar US$ 71 juta.

RI Hit by Pandemic, Freeport Smelter Project Running?

P

T FREEPORT Indonesia (PTFI) collabo- rated with a construction engineering company, PT Chiyoda International, to work together to build Freeport's Manyar Smelter located in Gresik, East Java. Both have signed a contract as proof of the cooperation.

According to PT Freeport Indonesia President Director Tony Wenas, the smelter project is the result of cooperation with the government. The project is said to be able to open up employment opportunities of up to tens of thousands of people.

"So the construction of the new copper smelter is actually part of our agreement with the government in 2018 which includes the divestment of 51% and the construction of a new smelter. So we remain committed," Tony told detikcom some time ago.

"This development process will take a cumulative workforce of 40,000 people.

The peak is 15,000 people but at the time of operation there are only about 1,000 people, so this development process also requires a ready workforce and there are also off takers nearby," he explained.

RI Dihantam Pandemi, Proyek Smelter Freeport Jalan?

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T FREEPORT Indonesia (PTFI) meng- gandeng perusahaan rekayasa konstruksi, PT Chiyoda International untuk bekerja sama membangun Smelter Manyar milik Freeport yang terletak di Gresik, Jawa Timur. Keduanya pun telah teken kontrak sebagai bukti kerja sama tersebut.

Menurut Presiden Direktur PT Freeport Indonesia Tony Wenas, proyek smelter tersebut merupakan hasil kerja sama dengan pemerintah. Proyek itu disebut mampu membuka peluang tenaga kerja hingga puluhan ribu orang.

"Jadi pembangunan smelter baru tembaga itu sebenarnya adalah bagian dari kesepakatan kami dengan pemerintah di tahun 2018 yaitu antara lain divestasi 51%

dan pembangunan smelter baru. Jadi kami tetap komit," ujar Tony kepada detikcom beberapa waktu lalu.

"Proses pembangunan ini akan memakan tenaga kerja kumulatifnya 40.000 orang.

Peak-nya 15.000 orang tapi pada saat operasionalnya hanya kira-kira 1.000 orang, jadi proses pembangunan ini juga memerlu- kan tenaga kerja yang siap dan juga ada off taker yang dekat di situ," jelasnya.

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According to him, this is also the reason PTFI decided to build a smelter in the Java Integrated Industrial and Ports Estate (JIIPE) area, Gresik. According to him, apart from having a ready workforce, the location is also strategic.

"Firstly, this project is not profitable, and secondly, how can we minimize the losses incurred, so we must also look for an area first, which already has a port, then there is also a ready workforce," he explained.

"Then here is an industrial area, everyone understands that there are a lot of industries there, so that the by-products from this smelter are gypsum, sulfuric acid, anode slime, copper slag and also copper telluride. the consumers around us. These factors were then taken into account so it was decided for us to build a smelter in the JIIPE Gresik area," he said.

Furthermore, he revealed that previously PTFI already has one copper smelter in Gresik, namely PT Smelting, which is 60%

owned by Mitsubishi, while 40% is controlled by PTFI. So from the two smelters, the total production capacity reaches 3 million tons of concentrate per year.

"Now one million tons of concentrate goes to PT Smelting, and we have expanded our capacity at PT Smelting to 1.3 million tons of concentrate per year and the new smelter at JIIPE has a capacity of 1.7 million tons, so our total production capacity is reaches 3 million tons of concentrate per year, so all of it will be processed domestically," he explained.

"We plan to have full operation in early 2024, by the end of 2023, we will be able to produce, it just takes time to ramp up. The factory cannot operate 100% immedia- tely," he concluded. (akd/ega)

Menurutnya, hal ini juga menjadi alasan PTFI memutuskan untuk membangun smelter di kawasan Java Integrated Industrial and Ports Estate (JIIPE), Gresik. Menurutnya, selain sudah ada tenaga kerja yang sudah siap, lokasinya juga strategis.

"Pertama ini proyek bukan hal yang meng- untungkan, dan kedua bagaimana caranya kami harus meminimalisir kerugian yang di- timbulkan, jadi harus dicari juga suatu wilayah pertama yang sudah ada pelabuhan- nya kemudian juga ada tenaga kerja yang ready," jelasnya.

"Kemudian di sini kawasan industri, sudah paham semuanya bahwa banyak sekali industri di situ jadi kan sehingga by product (produk ikutan) dari smelter ini berupa gipsum, asam sulfat, anode slime, copper slag dan juga ada copper telluride ini bisa langsung di offtake oleh para konsumen di sekitar kami. Faktor-faktor itu yang kemudian diperhitungkan sehingga diputuskan untuk kami mendirikan smelter di Kawasan JIIPE Gresik," ungkapnya.

Lebih lanjut, dia mengungkapkan sebelumnya PTFI sudah punya satu smelter tembaga di Gresik yakni PT Smelting yang 60% mayoritas dimiliki oleh Mitsubishi, sementara 40%

dikuasai oleh PTFI. Sehingga dari kedua smelter tersebut, total kapasitas produksi mencapai 3 juta ton konsentrat per tahun.

"Sekarang yang masuk ke PT Smelting itu satu juta ton konsentrat, dan kami telah melakukan ekspansi kapasitas di PT Smelting menjadi 1,3 juta ton konsentrat per tahun dan smelter baru yang di JIIPE memiliki kapasitas 1,7 juta ton, jadi total kapasitas produksi kami mencapai 3 juta ton konsentrat per tahun, jadi seluruhnya akan diproses dalam negeri,"

jelasnya.

"Kami merencanakan operasi full di awal 2024, akhir 2023 sudah bisa produksi hanya butuh waktu untuk ramp up. Pabrik itu nggak bisa langsung operasi 100%," pungkasnya.

(akd/ega)

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Bumi Resources Will Prioritize Coal Supply to PLN

Author: Denis Riantiza Meilanova

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T BUMI Resources Tbk. committed to continue to meet the supply of coal for domestic purposes or domestic market obligation (DMO), especially to PT PLN (Persero).

Bumi Resources Director and Corporate Secretary Dileep Srivastava said that through the company's two subsidiaries, PT Arutmin Indonesia and PT Kaltim Prima Coal, his party had agreed with PLN to supply higher quantities of coal for the rest of the year. Meeting the DMO requirements is also part of the company's strategy this year.

"The company's strategy is to prioritize supply to PLN and send it according to the agreed schedule and continue to meet the DMO conditions," said Dileep when contacted by Bisnis, Monday (23/8/2021).

Previously, PT Arutmin Indonesia was one of 34 coal companies that were sanctioned in the form of a temporary coal export ban by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) due to their failure to fulfill their obligation to supply coal in accordance with the sales contract with PLN.

But now, Arutmin has regained the permit to export. This has been confirmed by the Head of the Working Group for Mineral and Coal Information Management, Directorate General of Mineral and Coal, Ministry of ESDM, Sony Heru Prasetyo.

"Yes, that's right," said Sony when confirmed by Bisnis, Monday (23/8/2021).

Bumi Resources Bakal Prioritas- kan Pasokan Batu Bara ke PLN

Author: Denis Riantiza Meilanova

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T BUMI Resources Tbk. berkomitmen untuk terus memenuhi pasokan batu bara untuk kepentingan dalam negeri atau domestic market obligation (DMO), terutama kepada PT PLN (Persero).

Direktur dan Sekretaris Perusahaan Bumi Resources Dileep Srivastava mengatakan bahwa melalui dua anak usaha perusahaan, PT Arutmin Indonesia dan PT Kaltim Prima Coal, pihaknya telah sepakat dengan PLN untuk memasok batu bara dengan jumlah yang lebih tinggi untuk sisa tahun ini. Memenuhi ketentuan DMO juga menjadi bagian dari strategi perusahaan tahun ini.

"Strategi perusahaan adalah memprioritas- kan pasokan ke PLN dan mengirimnya sesuai jadwal yang disepakati dan terus memenuhi ketentuan DMO," ujar Dileep ketika dihubungi Bisnis, Senin (23/8/

2021).

Sebelumnya, PT Arutmin Indonesia menjadi salah satu dari 34 perusahaan batu bara yang dijatuhi sanksi berupa larangan ekspor batu bara sementara oleh Kemen- terian Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral (ESDM) akibat dianggap tidak memenuhi kewajiban pasokan batu bara sesuai kontrak penjualan dengan PLN.

Namun kini, Arutmin telah memperoleh kembali izin untuk melakukan ekspor. Hal ini telah dikonfirmasi oleh Kepala Pokja Pengelolaan Informasi Mineral dan Batu Bara Direktorat Jenderal Minerba Kemen- terian ESDM Sony Heru Prasetyo.

"Iya betul," kata Sony ketika dikonfirmasi Bisnis, Senin (23/8/2021).

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Related to this, Dileep also confirmed that Arutmin's coal sales activity and volume were running normally as before.

"Arutmin has complied with the DMO requirements in recent years and has also exceeded the pro-rate this year," said Dileep.

Meanwhile, Bumi Resources will also try to keep its coal production activities running normally. In accordance with the company's target guide this year, Bumi's coal production is expected to reach 85-88 million tons, an increase from last year's realization of 81.5 million tons. Editor : Hadijah Alaydrus

Terkait hal ini, Dileep juga mengonfirmasi bahwa aktivitas dan volume penjualan batu bara Arutmin berjalan normal seperti sebelumnya.

"Arutmin sudah memenuhi ketentuan DMO dalam beberapa tahun terakhir dan juga sudah melampaui prorata tahun ini," kata Dileep.

Adapun, Bumi Resources juga akan berupaya menjaga aktivitas produksi batu baranya berjalan normal. Sesuai dengan panduan target perusahaan tahun ini, produksi batu bara Bumi diharapkan dapat mencapai 85-88 juta ton atau naik dari realisasi tahun lalu yang mencapai 81,5 juta ton. Editor : Hadijah Alaydrus

This is a Row of Super Rare Mining Treasure Storage

Countries

Wilda Asmarini, CNBC Indonesia

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OT only mainstay mining commodities such as nickel, gold, copper and tin, it turns out that a number of countries in the world, including Indonesia, also hold rare mining "treasures".

The "treasure" of this mine is called rare earth metals (LTJ) or Rare Earth Elements.

This commodity is called rare earth metal because it is based on the assumption that the existence of this rare earth metal is not very common. But in reality, this LTJ is abundant, more than any other element in the earth's crust.

Ini Deretan Negara Penyimpan Harta Karun Tambang Super

Langka

Wilda Asmarini, CNBC Indonesia

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IDAK hanya komoditas tambang andalan seperti nikel, emas, tembaga hingga timah, ternyata sejumlah negara di dunia, termasuk Indonesia, juga menyimpan

"harta karun" tambang yang langka ditemui.

"Harta karun" tambang ini bernama logam tanah jarang (LTJ) atau Rare Earth Element. Komoditas ini dinamai logam tanah jarang karena didasarkan pada asumsi yang menyatakan bahwa keberadaan logam tanah jarang ini tidak banyak dijumpai. Namun pada kenyataannya, LTJ ini melimpah, melebihi unsur lain dalam kerak bumi.

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Rare earth metals are one of the mineral commodities that can be used as raw materials for many equipment in daily life, including for batteries, cellular phones, computers, the electronics industry to power plants based on new and renewable energy (EBT) such as Solar Power Plants (PLTS), Wind Power Plants (PLTB), then raw materials for the defense industry to electric vehicles.

Citing the book "Potential Rare Earth Metals in Indonesia" published by the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) in 2019, rare earth metals (LTJ) are one of the strategic minerals and are included as

"critical minerals" consisting of a collection of elements The elements scandium (Sc), lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb) ), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), lutetium (Lu) and yttrium (Y).

The presence of LTJ is generally found in a distribution that is not large and spreads in a limited way. Like thulium (Tm) and lutetium (Lu), these two elements are the two least abundant elements in the earth's crust but 200 times more abundant than gold (Au).

However, these elements are very difficult to mine because their concentrations are not high enough to be mined economically.

These seventeen metallic elements have many similar properties and are often found together in geological deposits.

The main minerals containing LTJ are bastnaesite, monazite, xenotime, zircon, and apatite.

So, which countries have the resources of this rare earth metal?

Logam tanah jarang merupakan salah satu komoditas mineral yang bisa digunakan sebagai bahan baku banyak peralatan dalam kehidupan sehari-hari, antara lain untuk baterai, telepon seluler, komputer, industri elektronika hingga pembangkit listrik ber- basis energi baru terbarukan (EBT) seperti Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Surya (PLTS), Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Bayu/Angin (PLTB), lalu bahan baku industri pertahanan hingga kendaraan listrik.

Mengutip buku "Potensi Logam Tanah Jarang di Indonesia" yang diterbitkan Badan Geologi Kementerian Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral (ESDM) pada 2019, logam tanah jarang (LTJ) merupakan salah satu dari mineral strategis dan termasuk "critical mineral" yang terdiri dari kumpulan dari unsur-unsur scandium (Sc), lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), lutetium (Lu) dan yttrium (Y).

Keterdapatan LTJ umumnya dijumpai dalam sebaran dengan jumlah yang tidak besar dan menyebar secara terbatas. Seperti halnya thulium (Tm) dan lutetium (Lu), kedua unsur ini merupakan dua unsur yang terkecil kelimpahannya di dalam kerak bumi tetapi 200 kali lebih banyak dibandingkan kelim- pahan emas (Au).

Meskipun demikian, unsur-unsur tersebut sangat sukar untuk ditambang karena konsentrasinya tidak cukup tinggi untuk ditambang secara ekonomis. Ketujuh belas unsur logam ini mempunyai banyak ke- miripan sifat dan sering ditemukan bersama- sama dalam satu endapan secara geologi.

Mineral yang mengandung LTJ utama adalah bastnaesit, monasit, xenotim, zirkon, dan apatit.

Lantas, negara mana saja yang memiliki sumber daya logam tanah jarang ini?

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Based on the book "Potential of Rare Earth Metals in Indonesia" by the Geological Agency of the Ministry of ESDM in 2019, the world's largest rare earth reserves are in China. In addition to the world's largest rare earths store, China is also the world's largest producer of LTJ.

China has LTJ deposits in primary form in the form of by-products from iron ore mining, and secondary in the form of alluvial deposits and lateritic deposits.

Based on the deposits found in Bayan Obo, China, rare earth metals can be formed as a process of changing carbonate rocks from sedimentary origin, but hydrothermal solutions can come from alkaline carbonate intrusive rock series, as quoted from the book by Drew (1991) in

"Potential of Rare Earth Metals in Indonesia" 2019.

Besides China, here are a number of countries with the largest rare earth metal resources in the world, as quoted from Henderson's book (1984) in the book

"Potential of Rare Earth Metals in Indonesia" 2019:

1. United States 23,590 million tons.

2. Canada 1,000 million tons.

3. Brazil 165 million tons.

4. Finland 110 million tons.

5. Egypt 90 million tons.

6. Malaysia 45 million tons.

Rare earth metals in China and the United States are found in the mineral bastnaesite which is the world's largest resource, while resources in Brazil, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, South Africa and Thailand come from monazite minerals in the form of secondary deposits. (wia)

Berdasarkan buku "Potensi Logam Tanah Jarang di Indonesia" Badan Geologi Kementerian ESDM pada 2019 tersebut, cadangan logam tanah jarang terbesar dunia terdapat di China. Selain penyimpan logam tanah jarang terbesar di dunia, China juga merupakan produsen LTJ terbesar di dunia.

China mempunyai endapan LTJ dalam bentuk primer berupa produk sampingan dari tambang bijih besi, dan sekunder berupa endapan aluvial dan endapan lateritik.

Berdasarkan endapan yang terdapat di Bayan Obo, China, logam tanah jarang dapat terbentuk sebagai proses pergantian batuan karbonat asal sedimenter, namun larutan hidrotermal bisa berasal dari seri batuan intrusi karbonat alkalin, seperti dikutip dari buku karya Drew (1991) dalam "Potensi Logam Tanah Jarang di Indonesia" 2019.

Selain China, berikut sejumlah negara dengan jumlah sumber daya logam tanah jarang terbesar di dunia, seperti dikutip dari buku Henderson (1984) dalam buku

"Potensi Logam Tanah Jarang di Indonesia"

2019:

1. Amerika Serikat 23.590 juta ton.

2. Kanada 1.000 juta ton.

3. Brasil 165 juta ton.

4. Finlandia 110 juta ton.

5. Mesir 90 juta ton.

6. Malaysia 45 juta ton.

Logam tanah jarang di China dan Amerika Serikat terdapat pada mineral bastnaesit yang merupakan sumber daya terbesar dunia, sementara sumber daya yang di Brasil, Malaysia, Sri Langka, India, Afrika Selatan dan Thailand berasal dari mineral monasit dalam bentuk endapan sekunder.

(wia)

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Coal is still needed for the next 30 years

Writer Edo Fernando, Editor: Faris Primayudha

G

LOBAL demand for coal is considered not to decline, even though the demand for renewable energy is getting higher.

Moreover, there is a boost from the recovery of the industrial sectors, after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, where the recovery made the demand for coal also increase again.

One opinion was expressed by PT Bumi Resources Tbk (BUMI), which said that although the demand for renewable energy continues to increase, there are still unresolved problems, namely the problem of limited storage. This problem has been experienced by a number of countries in Europe, and they also still need the existence of coal supplies.

While the industrial sector is trying to recover, countries in Europe are also reported to have experienced changes in demand patterns, and demand for supply cannot be fully addressed by renewable energy. In Asia itself, it is said that the increase in industrial activity has led to an increase in demand for coal supply by as much as 30 percent, which will continue to occur in the next few years.

“Although renewable energy is needed, it cannot completely replace fossil fuels for the next 25 or 30 years. The reason is, there are many factors that cause it," said Bumi Resources representative, Dileep Srivastava.

Batubara Masih Dibutuhkan Sampai 30 Tahun Mendatang

Penulis Edo Fernando, Editor: Faris Primayudha

P

ERMINTAAN batubara secara global dinilai tidak akan mengalami penurunan, kendati permintaan akan energi terbarukan semakin tinggi. Terlebih ada dorongan dari adanya pemulihan sektor-sektor industri, setelah merebaknya wabah pandemi Covid-19, di mana pemulihan tersebut menjadikan permintaan batu bara juga kembali meningkat.

Salah satu pendapat diutarakan oleh PT Bumi Resources Tbk (BUMI), yang mengatakan bahwa meskipun permintaan akan energi terbarukan terus mengalami peningkatan, namun masih ada masalah yang belum bisa terselesaikan, yakni soal keterbatasan dalam melakukan penyimpanan. Masalah ini sudah dialami oleh sejumlah negara-negara di Eropa, dan mereka pun tetap membutuhkan keberadaan dari pasokan batu bara.

Di saat sektor industri berupaya melakukan pemulihan, negara-negara di Eropa dilapor- kan juga mengalami perubahan pada pola permintaan, dan permintaan pasokan tidak mampu diatasi sepenuhnya oleh energi terbarukan. Di Asia sendiri, dikatakan bahwa peningkatan aktivitas industri telah menyebabkan peningkatan permintaan pasokan batu bara sebanyak 30 persen, yang akan terus terjadi sampai beberapa tahun mendatang.

“Walaupun energi terbarukan dibutuhkan, namun tidak bisa menggantikan keberadaan bahan bakar fosil sepenuhnya sampai dengan 25 atau 30 tahun mendatang. Pasalnya, ada banyak faktor yang menyebabkan,” kata per- wakilan Bumi Resources, Dileep Srivastava.

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However, Bumi Resources said that funding institutions continue to apply strict regulations and supervision when providing funding for coal-related projects, which results in limited supply. In order to survive in these conditions, mining companies have also taken downstream steps through a number of gasification projects so that in the future there will be a conversion of coal, which was previously used as fuel, to become raw material.

The existence of coal in Indonesia will continue to be needed until at least 2030, or even several years after. Bumi Resources also emphasized that policies to reduce imports of fossil fuels need to be carried out. This is intended to protect the availability of fuels such as coal.

Meski demikian, Bumi Resources mengatakan bahwa lembaga pendanaan tetap menerap- kan peraturan dan pengawasan yang ketat saat memberikan pendanaan terhadap proyek-proyek terkait batu bara, yang menyebabkan pemenuhan pasokan menjadi terbatas. Agar bisa bertahan dalam kondisi semacam ini, perusahaan pertambangan pun mengambil langkah hilirisasi lewat sejumlah proyek gasifikasi sehingga ke depan akan terjadi alih fungsi batubara, yang sebelumnya menjadi bahan bakar, bisa menjadi bahan baku.

Keberadaan batubara di Indonesia masih akan terus dibutuhkan sampai setidaknya tahun 2030, atau bahkan beberapa tahun setelahnya. Bumi Resources pun menekankan bahwa kebijakan untuk menurunkan impor bahan bakar fosil perlu dilakukan. Hal tersebut ditujukan agar melindungi keter- sediaan bahan bakar seperti batubara.

Freeport Reclamation Activities Reach 5,000 Hectare

Angga Laraspati - detikFinance

P

T FREEPORT Indonesia (PTFI) President Director Tony Wenas said a mine can be managed sustainably. Although mining activities have an impact on changes in the landscape and the material being mined is not renewable resources, the management of mining activities can be carried out with sustainability principles.

Tony gave an example with what PT Freeport Indonesia did in managing the mine in Tembagapura, Papua. All policies made refer to the company's commitment to stakeholders, including environmental, social, labor, human rights, and governance aspects.

Kegiatan Reklamasi Freeport Capai 5.000 Hektare

Angga Laraspati - detikFinance

P

RESIDEN Direktur PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) Tony Wenas mengatakan sebuah tambang bisa dikelola secara berkelanjutan (sustainable).

Meskipun kegiatan pertambangan berdampak pada perubahan bentang alam dan bahan yang ditambang bukan termasuk renewable resources namun pengelolaan kegiatan pertambangan dapat dilakukan dengan prinsip-prinsip keber- lanjutan (sustainability principles).

Tony mencontohkan dengan apa yang dilakukan oleh PT Freeport Indonesia dalam mengelola tambang di Tembagapura, Papua. Seluruh kebijakan yang dibuat merujuk pada komitmen perusahaan terhadap para pemangku kepentingan, meliputi aspek lingkungan, sosial, ketenaga- kerjaan, HAM, dan tata kelola (governance).

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"We follow the rules of good mining practices," said Tony to detikcom some time ago.

"In our mining process, the ore that has been mined is ground into a fine powder, and then sent to a processing plant (mill).

In this process, the ore that has been finely ground is mixed with reagents, so there is a physical process, not a chemical process.

We do not use cyanide, no mercury and also harmful substances," said Tony.

In the process, Tony continued, valuable minerals will float and those that are not valuable will sink which will then become tailings (mining waste).

"This tailings is channeled in a river system that has been dedicated to it and with the permission of the Regent, Governor, Minister of KLHK and also stated in the AMDAL. This is all deposited in one area called tailings deposition area of 23,000 hectares," added Tony.

Tony said the tailings were in the form of fine sand and were completely harmless because they had passed a series of tests.

In fact, according to Tony, tailings that are no longer active can grow plants on it easily either naturally or with the help of human hands.

"As you can see (in the tailings area) there are so many plants that can grow, fruits, perennials, fish can also live there. It's just that the volume (tailings) is large," he said.

Regarding reclamation, Tony said it was PTFI's obligation to try to restore the flora as it was at the beginning even though the contours of the mining area could not be changed. However, PTFI is trying its best to maintain the flora and fauna that existed prior to mining activities.

"Kami mengikuti kaidah praktik-praktik pertambangan yang baik dan benar (good mining practices)," tegas Tony kepada detikcom beberapa waktu lalu.

"Pada proses penambangan yang kami lakukan, bijih yang telah ditambang digerus menjadi halus, untuk kemudian dikirim ke pabrik pengolahan (mill). Dalam proses ini, bijih yang telah digerus halus dicampur dengan reagen, sehingga terjadi proses fisika bukan proses kimia. Kami tidak mengguna- kan sianida, tidak ada merkuri dan juga zat- zat yang membahayakan," kata Tony.

Dalam proses tersebut, lanjut Tony, mineral berharga akan terapung dan yang tak berharga akan tenggelam yang kemudian akan menjadi tailing (limbah tambang).

"Tailing ini dialirkan dalam suatu sistem sungai yang sudah didedikasikan untuk itu dan dengan izin Bupati, Gubernur, Menteri KLHK dan juga tertuang di dalam AMDAL- nya. Ini semua diendapkan di satu daerah yang namanya tailing deposition area seluas 23.000 hektare," imbuh Tony.

Tony mengatakan tailing tersebut berbentuk pasir halus dan sama sekali tidak berbahaya karena sudah lolos serangkaian test. Bahkan, menurut Tony, tailing yang sudah tidak aktif bisa tumbuh tanaman di atasnya dengan mudah baik secara alami maupun dengan bantuan tangan manusia.

"Seperti yang bisa dilihat (di area tailing) ada begitu banyak tanaman yang bisa tumbuh, buah-buahan, tanaman keras, ikan-ikan juga bisa hidup di situ. Cuma memang volumenya (tailing) besar," ujarnya.

Soal reklamasi, Tony menuturkan hal itu merupakan kewajiban dari PTFI untuk berusaha mengembalikan flora seperti di awal meski kontur yang ada pada area tambang tidak bisa berubah. Tetapi, PTFI berusaha sedemikian rupa untuk tetap menjaga flora dan fauna yang ada sebelum adanya kegiatan menambang.

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"Similarly with those in the tailings area, about 1,000 hectares of tailings deposition area have been replanted, and there are several other places that have also been planted so that the total has reached around 5,000 hectares which we have replanted, and this is continuing," he said.

Tony added that PT Freeport Indonesia also already has a mine closure document agreed by the Ministry of ESDM. In 2041 when PTFI has finished mining, this rehabilitation and reclamation program will continue.

"So the areas that were previously affected will be able to return again and the ecosystem will be maintained," he explained. (ega/hns)

"Begitu juga dengan yang ada di area tailing, sekitar 1.000 hektare daerah pengendapan tailing sudah ditanami kembali, dan ada beberapa tempat lainnya yang juga sudah ditanami sehingga total sudah mencapai sekitar 5.000 hektare yang kami tanami kembali, dan hal ini terus dilakukan," ungkapnya.

Tony menambahkan PTFI juga sudah memiliki dokumen penutupan tambang yang disepakati Kementerian ESDM. Pada tahun 2041 saat PTFI selesai menambang, program rehabilitasi dan reklamasi ini akan tetap berjalan.

"Sehingga daerah-daerah yang tadi terdampak akan bisa kembali lagi dan ekosistem tetap terjaga," urainya. (ega/hns)

Rise up! After 4% sinking, coal prices soared more than 1%

Hidayat Setiaji, CNBC Indonesia

C

OAL prices managed to rise after a slump. The price of the black stone returned to above US$ 160/ton.

Yesterday, the price of coal on the ICE Newcastle (Australia) market was recorded at US$ 162.25/ton. Up 1.56%

from last weekend's position.

Previously, the price of this commodity had fallen for two trading days in a row. In those two days, the price correction reached 4.63%.

So, it is not surprising that investors are again interested in collecting coal contracts because the price is already cheaper. An increase in demand makes prices move up.

Bangkit! Usai Ambles 4%, Harga Batu Bara Melonjak 1% Lebih

Hidayat Setiaji, CNBC Indonesia

H

ARGA batu bara berhasil bangkit setelah sempat terperosok. Harga si batu hitam kembali ke atas US$ 160/ton.

Kemarin, harga batu bara di pasar ICE Newcastle (Australia) tercatat US$

162,25/ton. Melesat 1,56% dari posisi akhir pekan lalu.

Sebelumnya, harga komoditas ini sempat anjlok selama dua hari perdagangan beruntun. Dalam dua hari tersebut, koreksi harga mencapai 4,63%.

Jadi, tidak heran investor kembali tertarik mengoleksi kontrak batu bara karena harganya sudah lebih murah. Peningkatan permintaan membuat harga bergerak naik.

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Toby Hassall, Analyst at Refinitiv, believes that there are at least two factors that make coal prices remain in a bullish trend.

First is the high demand, especially in China.

Last month, the Bamboo Curtain country's coal imports reached 30.18 million tons.

Up 15.6% compared to July 2020 (year-on- year/yoy).

The need for coal in China is increasing along with the growth in electricity use. In July 2021, electricity generation in China grew 12.7% compared to July 2019. This means that electricity demand is already above conditions before the corona virus pandemic (Coronavirus Disease-2019/

Covid-19). In the last two years, electricity generation grew by an average of 5.8%

annually.

The second is the high price of natural gas.

In the past week, natural gas prices rose 2.45%.

This makes coal attractive as a primary energy source for power generation because it is cheaper. In Europe, the cost of generating electricity from natural gas is EUR 47.75/MWh on 16 August 2021. At the same time, the cost of power generation from coal is only EUR 40.24/MWh.

"When the cost of generating electricity with natural gas is more expensive, coal becomes more competitive. This will increase the demand for coal," Hassall wrote in his research. CNBC INDONESIA RESEARCH TEAM (aji/aji)

Toby Hassall, Analis Refinitiv, menilai setidaknya ada dua faktor yang membuat harga batu bara bisa tetap dalam tren bullish. Pertama adalah tingginya per- mintaan, terutama di China.

Bulan lalu, impor batu bara Negeri Tirai Bambu mencapai 30,18 juta ton. Melonjak 15,6% dibandingkan Juli 2020 (year-on- year/yoy).

Kebutuhan batu bara di China meningkat seiring pertumbuhan penggunaan listrik.

Pada Juli 2021, pembangkitan listrik di China tumbuh 12,7% dibandingkan Juli 2019. Artinya, kebutuhan listrik sudah berada di atas kondisi sebelum pandemi virus corona (Coronavirus Disease-2019/

Covid-19). Dalam dua tahun terakhir, pembangkitan listrik rata-rata tumbuh 5,8% setiap tahunnya.

Kedua adalah tingginya harga gas alam.

Dalam sepekan terakhir, harga gas alam naik 2,45%.

Ini membuat batu bara menjadi menarik sebagai sumber energi primer pembangkit listrik karena harganya lebih murah. DI Eropa, biaya pembangkitan listrik berbahan bakar gas alam adalah EUR 47,75/MWh pada 16 Agustus 2021. Pada saat yang sama, biaya pembangkitan berbahan bakar batu bara hanya EUR 40,24/MWh.

"Saat biaya pembangkitan listrik dengan gas alam lebih mahal, batu bara menjadi lebih kompetitif. Ini akan meningkatkan permintaan terhadap batu bara," tulis Hassall dalam risetnya. TIM RISET CNBC INDONESIA (aji/aji)

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Copper price rises as China reports no new covid-19 cases

MINING.COM Staff Writer

C

OPPER prices rose on Monday as the risk-on sentiment spilled over from the equities market, reinforced by optimism over economic recovery after top consumer China reported no new local covid-19 cases for the first time since July.

Asian shares bounced as a wave of bargain hunting swept beaten-down markets.

Surging novel coronavirus cases due to the highly transmissible Delta variant, slowing China growth and fear of US policy tightening this year have weighed on base metals, with copper hitting its lowest in more than six months last week.

Copper for delivery in September rose 2.6% from Friday’s settlement price, at $4.2465 per pound (9,342 per tonne) on the Comex market in New York.

“Trading volumes are very thin across the board suggesting that it is pretty much algorithms at play,” director Malcolm Freeman at broker Kingdom Futures said in a note.

According to the International Copper Study Group, the global world refined copper market showed a 2,000 tonne surplus in May, compared with 86,000 tonne deficit in April. (With files from Reuters)

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Indonesia reverses coal export ban for three companies

Source: Reuters

I

NDONESIA has reversed coal export bans for three companies after they complied with domestic market obligations, an official at the energy and natural resources ministry told Reuters on Monday.

Indonesia suspended coal exports from 34 coal mining companies earlier this month after it said the companies failed to sell an obligatory 25per cent of their production to the domestic market, mainly to state power utility PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN).

As of last week, three companies, including PT Arutmin, a subsidiary of the country's top coal producer PT Bumi Resources, have been given their coal export licenses back, the official, Sony Heru Prasetyo, told Reuters.

The other two companies were PT Bara Tabang and PT Borneo Indobara.

(Reporting by Bernadette Christina Munthe; Writing by Fathin Ungku; Editing by Susan Fenton)

Yancoal to ‘wash harder’ as pandemic lingers

Henry Ballard

Y

ANCOAL has implemented a new strategy to maximise its coal product value, while playing catch up in the second half of 2021, following rain delays and ongoing COVID-19 disruptions.

Australia’s largest exporter of thermal coal produced just 17.5 million tonnes of attributable saleable coal during the first half but will continue to target a full-year goal of 39 million tonnes in 2021.

This will require a 23 per cent ramp up by the end of the year, but Yancoal chief executive officer David Moult said the pandemic had thrown another spanner in the works.

“All our operations remain COVID-19 free, however with COVID-19 more prevalent in regional areas we have introduced additional protocols in response to the increased number of positive cases in the community,” Moult said.

“The spread of COVID-19 to areas near our mines has increased the instances of workers not being able to attend site as they follow Government protocols.”

Yancoal’s three largest sites – Moolarben, Mount Thorley Warkworth, and the Hunter Valley operations – are all located in New South Wales and are therefore subject to the various COVID-19 restrictions put in place over July and August.

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These three operations produced a combined 23.9 million tonnes of run-of-mine coal in the first half of 2021.

This was down 3.8 million tonnes on the first half of 2020, as previously announced rainfall delayed the operations.

To offset the losses and ongoing impacts of COVID-19, Moult said the company had implemented a new strategy.

“We have implemented a ‘wash harder’ strategy to improve the coal quality of our product.

The strategy incurs additional costs but aims to capture the arbitrage between high-ash and low-ash thermal coal prices to deliver a net positive outcome,” Moult said.

“As always, our focus is on the controllable elements of our business, particularly optimising production and reducing operating costs wherever possible.”

Rio Tinto chartered flight from South Africa to Mongolia’s Oyu Tolgoi first to have 100% passengers with Digital Health Pass

Posted by Paul Moore

M

ONGOLIAN Airlines (MIAT) recently operated the first ever charter flight (OM7602) on which all passengers and air crew members used a digital health pass to verify their COVID- 19 negative status. The flight, chartered by Rio Tinto, carried employees destined for the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold minesite.

AOKpass, integrated into International SOS’ safe return to work solution, Work Pass, was used to authenticate the employees’ COVID-19 negative PCR results on departure from Johannesburg Airport (JNB), in South Africa, and arrival at Ulaanbaatar Airport (ULN), in Mongolia.

Altannaran Gankhuu, Head of Foreign Relations & Cooperation Department at MIAT Mongolian Airlines commented: “We are delighted to work with our partners to provide safe passage for the Oyu Tolgoi employees in this groundbreaking flight.” Phil Abraham, GM HSE, Oyu Tolgoi LLC – Rio Tinto said, “Oyu Tolgoi is one of the most modern, safe and sustainable operations in the world and it is critically important to us to ensure our employees are kept safe and well. Working in partnership with Mongolian Airlines, AOKPass and International SOS will protect our employees as well as providing a smooth journey.”

All the employees took a PCR test 24 hours before the flight, which followed a previous test nine days prior to the flight. They also underwent an International SOS ‘Fit for Travel Assessment’ via survey forms through the Work Pass app. The International SOS Work Pass full integration with AOKpass provided the employees with a unique AOKpass QR code linking to their digital health certificate. This was presented at the arrival gate, where inspection personnel scanned the QR code to verify that the passenger has the valid required certificates for the flight and entry to country, including COVID-19 negative status.

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Darren Toh, CEO at AOKPass, “This is a great step in the evolution of getting back to travel and back to work safely in a sustainable way. It is another milestone in the operational advancement of AOKpass. Being able to provide organisations and their employees with an easy and secure end-to-end process is going to be a key element in getting the global workforce and economy back to business.”

Michael Gardner, CEO Medical Services, International SOS added, “The integration of Work Pass and AOKpass provides organisations and their employees with a safe and secure way to demonstrate adherence to health requirements of a work or travel environment via a single app. This is an exciting first of its kind pilot and we hope that many more organisations consider this to protect their employees and, ultimately, their business continuity.”

Blair Athol coal mine life extended by 10 years

Cecilia Jamasmie

A

USTRALIAN coal producer TerraCom (ASX: TER) said on Monday it had extended the life of its Blair Athol coal mine in Queensland’s Bowen Basin by about 10 years, following a reserves update.

As of June 30, 2021, the mine’s marketable reserves totalled 19.5 tonnes, TerraComm said.

Based on a two-million-tonne sales profile, the company estimates that Blair Athol will run for another decade, giving the mine 14 years of operation under its ownership.

TerraCom acquired Blair Athol in 2016 from Rio Tinto for only A$1 (about 72 US cents at today’s rates), at a time when coal prices were hitting historic lows and top miners decided to offload their coal assets.

The company, which reopened the mine the following year, was forced to defend the authenticity of the operation’s coal in April, denying allegations that it was involved in a coal sampling probe.

The investigation and subsequent 2020 court case centred on allegations that lab testing, and certification company ALS had helped TerraCom to falsify its coal quality results to increase the output’s worth.

Blair Athol’s life extension comes amid soaring thermal coal prices and record-low asset values, which are creating a complex situation for Australian coal producers.

It also follows recent announcements by the biggest banks in Australia, the world’s biggest coal exporter, committing to phase out exposure to thermal coal by 2030.

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Some producers, including BHP, are mulling their exit from the market. Others, such as China’s Yancoal, Australia’s top independent exporter of thermal coal, have chosen to keep production rates and focus on coal quality.

TerraCom has opted for extending the mine life through low-cost planning and productivity improvements.

Blair Athol generates 3 million tonnes of high-quality thermal coal a year for exports into Asian markets.

Australia, Guinea to drive bauxite production growth trend

By: Marleny Arnoldi, Creamer Media Online Writer

A

NALYTICS company GlobalData says bauxite is poised to continue on a growth trajectory globally, with production expected to increase by 3.8% year-on-year this year to reach 372- million tonnes.

This follows a 1.2% rise in bauxite output recorded in 2020 to 359-million tonnes.

GlobalData reports that higher output from mines in Australia and Guinea, as well as normalising levels of production elsewhere to pre-Covid-19 levels, are contributing to tonnages.

From this year to 2025, global bauxite production is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 2.2%, to reach 406-million tonnes by 2025.

Australia and Guinea will likely maintain steady supply growth rates of 1.6% and 6.5%, respectively, over the period, supported by a series of upcoming projects. The two countries account for eight of the 17 planned bauxite projects worldwide.

In Australia, bauxite production growth will be supported by the restart of Metro Mining’s Bauxite Hills mine, where operations had been halted during the wet season. The mine is expected to produce about four-million tonnes of bauxite this year.

Further, the formal commitment of the Stage 2 expansion of the mine to a capacity of six- million tonnes, which is part of the company’s long-term development plan, will be dependent on global market conditions.

In Guinea, GlobalData project manager Vinneth Bajaj explains, the Boffa mine, which began operations in January 2020, is expected to reach its full capacity during the second half of this year.

The mine is expected to produce up to nine-million tonnes of bauxite this year, compared with seven-million tonnes in 2020.

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Earlier this year, operations also began at the Garafiri project, which has over 300-million tonnes of bauxite reserves. The project has an initial production capacity of three-million tonnes, which will be expanded up to eight-million tonnes.”

In July, China Railway Construction Corporation announced completion of the construction of a railway line from Boffa to Boke, which will now increase the single trip freight volume to 10 000 t, up from 5 000 t previously, as part of the first phase of the Boke development project.

Phases 2 and 3 of the project include exploitation of bauxite resources in the new mining areas of Santou II and Houda and development of an alumina refinery in the Boke Special Economic Zone.

Overall, this will play a crucial role in establishing Guinea as an export nation, states GlobalData.

US critical mineral imports up 7.9% y-o-y in Q2 – report

MINING.com Editor

U

S IMPORTS of critical minerals increased 7.9% in the second quarter on a year-over-year basis but stayed relatively flat quarter over quarter, according to an analysis by S&P Global Market Intelligence.

In the first half of 2021, the volume of critical minerals flowing into the country surpassed the 316,108 tonnes imported in the first six months of 2020 by 41,209 tonnes, the report showed.

About three dozen materials fall under the US Interior Department’s list of critical minerals deemed to be important to national security and the economy. These include the manganese and graphite used in electric vehicle batteries, the rare earth elements installed in the magnets used in wind turbines and EV motors, and several other materials required to build clean energy technologies.

According to the S&P data, a majority of the critical minerals imported during the quarter came from South Africa, with 41.4%, while top rival China contributed another 7.9% of the imports. Gabon, Mexico and Japan were also among the top sources of critical minerals for the US.

“We are dependent upon different countries, most notably China, for a number of our critical mineral resources,” wrote Abigail Wulf, director of critical minerals strategy for Securing America’s Future Energy, a group advocating for greater US energy independence.

“We are 100% import-reliant on 13 of the 35 critical minerals that the Department of Interior has classified,” Wulf added.

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