PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Diversified junior Altura Mining has inched forward with the development of its Tabalong coal project, in Indonesia, after receiving in-principal forest area approval from the Minister for Forestry for the PT Suryaraya Permata Khatulistiwa (SPK) mining and infrastructure areas.
The forestry approval was the final step before the issue of a borrow and use forest area permit, which would allow for construction to start in the SPK area.
The initial approval area covers some 465.29 ha and allows for the mining pit, waste dumps and mine infrastructure, as well as a haul road.
Meanwhile, Altura said that it was also seeking an additional in-principal approval for the adjoining PT Suryaraya Cahaya Cemerlang area, while completing an updated coal resource estimate for the Tabalong project.
The Tabalong project would likely start mining in 2015, and would produce an initial 500 000 t/y of thermal coal, ramping up to 1.5-million tonnes a year in the longer term.