Jakarta (ANTARA News) - PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) targeting gold production in 2011 to reach 3.804 tons, up compared to last year`s 2.78 tons, the company`s corporate secretary Budi Satriyo said here Tuesday.

In a release, he said, the production target is expected from Pongkor and Cibaliung gold minne, each of which produced 2.007 tons and 1.797 tons.

"Meanwhile, last year`s production of 2.78 tons came from Pongkor (2.485 tons) and 295 Kg of Cibaliung," he said.

According to Bimo Satriyo, gold sales in 2011 is expected to reach 7.304 tons, up compared to last year`s 6.561 tons.

In 2010, gold sales in 2010 reached Rp2,35 trillion with an average price of US$1227.52 per troy ounce.

He explained, in 2011, along with the optimization plan of Ferronickel I and II, Antam may reach a production of 18,000 tons of nickel in ferronickel (TNi) and sales of 18,500 TNi.

While nickel ore production in 2011 is targeted at 7.65 million wet metric tonnes (wmt) consisting of 4.5 million wmt of high grade nickel ore and 3.15 million low-yield wmt.

For nickel ore sales, the target is 5.86 million with 3.71 million wet metric tons (wmt) of high grade and 2.15 million wmt of low grade nickel ores.

In 2010, production reached 18,688 TNi of ferronickel and sales reaching 18,253 TNi with a value of Rp3,65 trillion. The average sales price of ferronickel in 2010 reached 10.05 per pound (lb).

Antam also produced 3,617,563 wmt of high grade nickel ore and 3,375,891 wmt of low grade nickel ore, reaching a total of 6,993,454 wmt in 2010. The nickel ore sales volume in 2010 reached 5,863,840 wmt with a value of Rp2, 36 trillion. For bauxite, in 2011, Antam expects to produce and sell 200,000 wmt each.

Bimo added, in 2010, Antam produced 104,692 wmt and sold 191,615 wmt of bauxite earning an income of Rp34 billion.

In the fourth quarter of 2010, Antam did not produce bauxite ores as Kijang mining was closed since its reserves had been exhausted and also did not sell bauxite.

Furthermore, Antam moved the bauxite mining operation to a new location in Tayan, West Kalimantan and would be developed into a more value-added alumina.

In total, Antam`s unaudited sales reached Rp8,72 trillion in 2010, a small increase compared to Rp8,71 trillion in 2009.
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Editor: Bambang
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