Indonesian 2005 Coal Exports May Rise 14%, Overtaking Australia

Indonesia may surpass Australia as the biggest thermal coal exporter this year with a 14 percent gain on demand from buyers in India and southern China, industry and company officials said.

The southeast Asian country’s thermal coal exports may rise by as much as 16 million metric tons, Philip Gasteen, marketing and logistics senior vice president at Banpu PCL, said. The Thai company has 93 percent of its coal reserves in Indonesia.