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Indonesia's Antam says commodity prices drive '03 revs
Saturday January 31, 12:21 am ET
JAKARTA, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Indonesian nickel and gold miner PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) (Jakarta:ANTM.JK - News; Australia:ATM.AX - News) reported a 19.4 percent increase in 2003 revenue to two trillion rupiah ($242 million) helped by higher commodity prices.
The state-run firm said in a statement seen by Reuters on Saturday it produced 8,933 tonnes of ferronickel last year, less than its target of 10,000 tonnes because of a problem at a smelter in the fourth quarter.
"Ferronickel production decreased due to higher than normal temperatures in Antam's second ferronickel smelter and lower power generation caused by fractures on the fifth engine frame of power plant II," the company said.
In addition to its own ferronickel output, Antam said a total of 597 tonnes was produced through toll smelting with Japan's Pacific Metals Co Ltd (Tokyo:5541.T - News) in 2003.
"Antam plans to conduct spot lining repair in early 2004 and following the import of necessary spare parts, in the second half, FeNI II will undergo a major overhaul and modernisation process," the statement said, referring to one of the firm's ferronickel smelters.
Antam has said it expected ferronickel output to fall 10-to-20 percent this year due to a scheduled overhaul at one of its smelters., which would take five months.
It is now developing a new ferronickel smelter, expected to begin operation in 2006, which would boost its total production capacity to 26,000 tonnes a year from 11,000 tonnes.
Antam's shares fell 3.23 percent to end at 1,500 rupiah on Friday.
Below is Antam's production and sales:
2003 2002
Production
Ferronickel tonnes 8,933 8,804
Gold kg 4,176 3,813
Sales
Ferronickel tonnes 8,868 8,227
Gold kg 4,839 4,093
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