Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.

Today's Headlines Coal

  • Indonesia's Benchmark Coal Price Extends Drop in February 2017

    The benchmark thermal coal price of Indonesia (in Indonesian: Harga Batubara Acuan, or HBA), the a monthly price that is set by Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, and which is based on a selection of domestic and international coal indices - continued to slide in the new year. The HBA fell 3.4 percent to USD $83.32 per metric ton in February 2017. Since the recent peak of USD $101.67 per metric ton in December 2016, the HBA price has now plunged 18 percent over the past two months.

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  • World Coal Association Welcomes Berau Coal as its Newest Member

    The only body acting internationally on behalf of coal, the World Coal Association (WCA), announced on Thursday (12/01) that Indonesian coal mining company Berau Coal Energy has joined its membership. Berau Coal is Indonesia's fifth-largest coal producer with an estimated 509 million tons of coal reserves. Berau was established in 1983 and now operates three mines in Lati, Binungan and Sambarata, all located on the island of Kalimantan.

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  • International Energy Agency (IEA): Global Coal Demand to Stagnate

    The International Energy Agency (IEA) says worldwide demand for coal will not grow significantly over the next five years. It sees worldwide coal demand in 2021 roughly at the same level as in 2014. In a report published on Monday (12/12) the agency says it detects rising demand for renewable energy sources (at the expense of coal) in Europe and North America, while in China coal consumption is also expected to stagnate. However, the IEA believes that coal will remain the most important energy source as it is cheap and easy to produce.

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  • New Regulations in Indonesia's Coal Mining Industry

    Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources will prepare new regulations regarding coal production in the regions. Usually, local coal miners, together, produce much more coal than what is targeted by the central government. By implementing stricter regulations and better monitoring (by enhanced coordination between the central and regional governments) there should be less opportunities for Indonesian coal miners to produce excess supply in the future.

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  • Indonesia's Coal Price Continues to Soar in 2nd Half of 2016

    Indonesia's benchmark thermal coal price (Harga Batubara Acuan, or HBA) - a monthly price that is set by Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, and which is based on domestic and international coal indices - continued its impressive rally. In December 2016 the HBA was set at USD $101.69 per metric ton, up nearly 20 percent from the HBA in the preceding month. It is now at its highest level since May 2012. Moreover, price growth between November and December was the steepest monthly rise ever in the history of the HBA.

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  • Moody's Positive about Indonesia's Non-Financial Companies in 2017

    Global credit rating agency Moody's Investors Service believes Indonesia's non-financial companies, specifically those engaged in the commodities sector, will see improving corporate earnings in 2017 due to rising commodity prices and the economic recovery of the USA. In a report released on Monday (21/11), Moody's states that commodity prices are expected to continue their upward movement in 2017. This will trigger investment in the mining, oil & gas and crude palm oil (CPO) sectors.

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  • Coal Mining Industry Indonesia Update: HBA Price Soaring

    Ever since China decided to streamline its coal industry by limiting output (combating the local oversupply), global coal prices have jumped sharply. Indonesia's benchmark thermal coal price (known as the Harga Batubara Acuan, or HBA) - a monthly price that is set by Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and is based on domestic and international coal indices - soared 22.9 percent (m/m) to USD $84.89 per metric ton in November 2016 (from USD $69.07 per ton in the preceding month).

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  • Coal Price Indonesia at 25-Month High in October 2016

    Indonesia's thermal coal price (in Indonesian: Harga Batubara Acuan, or HBA), a monthly price set by Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and which is based on domestic and global coal prices, surged further in October 2016. The HBA soared 8.04 percent month-on-month (m/m) to USD $69.07 per metric ton from USD $63.93 per ton in the preceding month. Indonesia's HBA price is now at its highest level since August 2014. This rally is mainly supported by rising coal demand in China.

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  • Export Performance Indonesia to Improve on Rebounding Commodities

    Eight commodity prices have been rising steadily so far this year on higher global demand. This rebound is expected to continue into 2017 although it will require a long time to touch the levels that we saw in 2011. The World Bank noted in a report released on 4 October 2016 that the prices of eight commodities - coal, crude oil, crude palm oil, copper, iron ore, tin, nickel and gold - have been rebounding so far this year. Rising commodity prices will support economic growth of Indonesia as Southeast Asia's largest economy is one of the world's largest commodity exporters.

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  • Coal Miners Listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange See Rising Shares

    Coal prices are experiencing a remarkable rebound so far this year. On Thursday (15/09) the coal price touched USD $70.95 per metric ton (September delivery, ICE Futures Exchange), up about 53 percent from its position at the year-start. For Indonesia, a country that ranks among the world’s biggest coal producers and exporters, this is good news. There are plenty of coal companies active in Indonesia that will see improving corporate earnings due to the bullish price. Moreover, several coal mining companies that are listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) have also seen their shares surge significantly.

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Latest Columns Coal

  • Indonesia’s Reference Coal Price Hits All-Time Low in May 2015

    On Monday (11/05), it was announced that the reference coal price of Indonesia declined 5.2 percent (month-on-month) to an all-time low of USD $61.08 per metric ton in May. This benchmark price, which is set by the government each month based on the average of four coal indexes (Indonesia Coal Index, Platts Index, New Castle Export Index and New Castle Global Coal Index), continued to plummet due to the coal oversupply in combination with weak global coal demand (particularly falling demand from China).

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  • Coal Mining Industry Indonesia: Higher Royalties for IUP-Holders

    The government of Indonesia plans to raise royalties for coal mining companies that hold a Mining Business Permit (Izin Usaha Pertambangan, abbreviated IUP) by revising Government Regulation No. 9 - 2012 on Tariff and Types of Non-Tax Revenue in a move to generate more state income. R. Sukhyar, Director General for Coal and Mineral Resources at the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, said that the domestic coal industry remains a vital source of state income, particularly amid diminished mineral exports.

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  • Mining Indonesia | Introduction and Overview

    Mining in Indonesia includes a part or all stages of coal and mineral exploration and exploitation. Minerals are defined by law number 4 of 2009 on Mineral and Coal Mining (“Mining Law”) as inorganic compounds which possess specific characteristics and compositions in the form of ores. Coal is defined as sediment of organic carbon which is naturally formed from plants. Mining in Indonesia does not include any activities related to exploration and exploitation of geothermal, oil and gas and ground water.

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  • Mineral Resources Indonesia: Copper Concentrate and Coal Export Update

    Global copper prices can come under pressure as Newmont Nusa Tenggara (NNT) has started to export copper concentrate again this week after a nine-month hiatus caused by the dispute between the Indonesian government and NNT about Law No. 4 of 2009 on Mineral and Coal Mining (the “New Mining Law” of Indonesia), which sets high export taxes on unprocessed mineral exports (and stipulates a complete ban by 2017), in an effort to force Indonesian miners to build local processing facilities.

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  • Update on Jakarta Composite Index and Indonesian Rupiah Exchange Rate

    The benchmark stock index of Indonesia - known as the Jakarta Composite Index or IHSG - rose 0.17 percent to 4,921.39 points on Tuesday (13/05), impacted by investors' reaction to positive earnings reports of Indonesian coal miners in the first quarter of 2014. Today, foreign investors recorded net buying of IDR 64 billion (USD $5.6 million) and accounted for 31 percent of trading activity. However, investors remain cautious ahead of the presidential election that is scheduled for 9 July 2014 and wait for more clarity about the (vice) presidential candidates that will compete.

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  • Coalbed Methane Production in Indonesia Far from Successful

    Production of coalbed methane (CBM) in Indonesia will most likely not meet the government's target of 500 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) in 2015. Coalbed methane, an environmental friendly fuel, is a form of natural gas that occurs in coal beds. Although the production of CBM is a complementary aspect of coal mining, it has only started to gain attention in recent years. CBM reserves in Indonesia, estimated at 453 trillion cubic feet (tcf), are among the world's largest CBM reserves (6 percent of total global CBM reserves).

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  • What about Indonesia's Coal Mining Sector? A Short Overview and Analysis

    Coal is one of the most important commodities for Indonesia in terms of state revenue as it accounts for about 85 percent of the country's total mining revenue. Therefore, when global coal prices fell sharply from 2011 (amid a slowing global economy), Indonesia felt the impact. In a response to lower coal prices, Indonesian miners actually increased coal output thus placing more downward pressure on coal prices and profit margins. Although the coal industry will remain frail for some time to come, long-term prospects are still strong.

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  • Government of Indonesia Plans to Raise Royalties for Coal Miners

    Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources plans to set royalties for all types of coal at 13.5 percent (of net sales) as part of a revision of Government Regulation No. 9 - 2012 on Tariff and Types of Non-Tax Revenue. Currently, the percentage of royalty depends on the quality of the coal that is extracted as well as the type of permit that is issued to the coal miner. Apart from higher coal royalties, the Indonesian government also proposes a windfall profits tax in case there is a sharp upward price correction.

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  • Indonesian Economic and Financial Update: Challenges in October

    ICRA Indonesia, an independent credit rating agency and subsidiary of ICRA Ltd. (associate of Moody's Investors Service), publishes a monthly newsletter which provides an update on the financial and economic developments in Indonesia of the last month. In the October 2013 edition, a number of important issues that are monitored include Indonesia's inflation rate, the trade balance, the current account deficit, the IDR rupiah exchange rate, and gross domestic product (GDP) growth. Below is an excerpt:

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  • Plan to Increase Revenues from Indonesia's Coal Sector may Backfire

    Concerns have arisen over the government's plan to increase royalties and export duties for coal. The Indonesian Coal Mining Association (APBI) expects that this policy will lead to the closure of various coal miners while increasing acts of illegal mining. According to Bob Kamandanu, chairman of the APBI, 60 million tons of coal per year is not listed by any authority and thus can be labeled 'illegal'. Illegal coal mining also implies that the Indonesian government misses out on about IDR 5.6 trillion (USD $495.6 million) per year.

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