Reuters: Financial Services and Real Estate: Colombian first-quarter coal output rises 14.6 pct

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Colombian first-quarter coal output rises 14.6 pct May 14th 2012, 16:44 Mon May 14, 2012 12:44pm EDT * Output in Cesar province up 20.8 pct to 12.84 mln T * All major coal producers expanding operations BOGOTA May 14 (Reuters) - Colombia's coal production jumped 14.6 percent to 23.31 million tonnes in the first three months of 2012, compared with the same period last year, the Andean country's mining regulator said on Monday. Colombia's coal industry is dominated by big producers with their own ports and railways such as Glencore, Drummond and Cerrejon, which is jointly owned by BHP Billiton , Anglo American and Xstrata. The top three producers export almost all their output. The main markets for Colombian coal are the United States and Europe, although exporters have started to make inroads in Asia despite the high freight costs. The largest production increases were in the Cesar province where Glencore's Prodeco unit, Drummond International, Vale and Goldman Sachs' local affiliate operate. Output in the region increased almost 21 percent to 12.84 million tonnes. Production in Guajira province - where Cerrejon, the country's largest exporter, has four of five licenses to mine - rose 10.2 percent in the first quarter to 9.0 million tonnes versus the same period last year, it said. Production at Drummond's La Loma and El Descanso mines increased almost 28 percent to 7.06 million tonnes. The regulator did not give a reason for output changes, but all major coal miners are currently expanding their mines and infrastructure in Latin America's top coal exporter. The world's No. 4 coal exporter is experiencing a boom in investment in the oil and mining sectors following a U.S.-sponsored crackdown on illegal armed groups that has made it safer to explore and mine. Colombia's coal production is expected to increase to 97 million tonnes in 2012 from 85.8 million tonnes last year, the mining minister has said. Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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