950807

Coal output

target fixed

at over 3m

tonnes

NASIR SIDDIQUI

KARACHI: The Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) has set coal production target at 3.04 million tonnes during 1995-96.

Sources close to the PMDC revealed that out of the production of 3.0415 million tonnes of coal, Balochistan will produce 1.67 million tonnes, followed by Sindh's 1.30 million tonnes, while the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) will produce 0.066 million tonnes.

Sources further said that the Punjab government has not fixed a coal production target for the year 1995-96.

PMDC sources said that Pakistan produced 2.14 million tonnes of coal during July 1994 to March, 1995, as compared 3.43 million tonnes produced during the same period in the previous year. The decline in coal production, sources said, was due to a slump in the coal market in 1994-95.

About the utilization coal for generation of power, sources said that a coal-based power plant of 150 MW based on fluidized bed technology has already been set up in public sector at Khanote near Lakhra coal field. Partly commissioned, this protect will meet its coal requirement of 0.75 million tonnes per year from a dedicated public sector underground mechanised mine.

Sources further said that the total coal resources of Pakistan as estimated by the Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) are about 184 billion, 95 percent of which are located in the Thar coalfield in Sindh.

The use of coal has remained restricted to brick burning alone. The Balochistan coal is mainly transported by road or rail to various desitination of Punjab and NWFP at an average distance of 1000 kilometers.