West Wits Mining is continuing attempts to move its Derewo River Gold Project in Papua Province forward. As such it has entered into a cooperation framework agreement with PT Intan Angasa Aviation (PTIA) to become the company’s new local partner at Derewo. The need for a new local partner became a focus due continuing frustrations at the lack of progress at Derewo.

G-RESOURCES continues its successful exploration program at the Martabe Gold-Silver Project in North Sumatra. Recent drilling has focused on the potential for expanding the mineral resource estimates with campaigns conducted on extensions to known resources at the Purnama, Barani, Uluala Hulu and Tor Uluala deposits.

Borneo Resource Investments has commenced construction of a 10,000 tonne leach pad on the recently acquired property adjacent to the original 2500 tonne facility at the Ratatotok processing area. Trial production on the new pad is anticipated later this month with a projected output of 4-6kg of 99% pure gold, valued, at current prices, at between US$160,000 and $240,000.

Churchill Mining PLC will attend a document authenticity hearing in July to prove its paperwork is in order after the Indonesian government questioned the company's documents in an ongoing dispute. The company is in dispute with Indonesia about getting compensation for the revocation of mining licences relating to the East Kutai Coal Project in East Kalimantan, in which it has a 75% interest.

MOBILIZATION of the construction team for Sumatra Copper & Gold’s Tembang Gold-Silver Project in southern Sumatra began in mid-November. The company expects production to begin with 12 months of project recommencement.

INDONESIA can be the mining giant of Asia - the crown is there to seize, according to Tony Manini, who is CEO of Tigers Realm Group. Addressing a Melbourne Mining Club dinner during the Ozmine conference in October, he said Indonesia was poised for an era of economic growth that would propel it into the world’s top 10 economies but warned that it was falling short of fully harnessing its mineral potential.

Cokal Ltd has released an updated JORC 2012-compliant resource statement for the eastern portion of Bumi Barito Mineral (BBM) coal project. The measured resource of 19.5 million tonnes is 85% more than the previous estimate while the indicated resource of 23.1 million tonnes is a 70% increase.

Finders Resources is making excellent progress with earthworks for the copper cathode SX-EW expansion project at the Wetar project on Wetar Island. The project will increase annual production from 3000 to 25,000 tonnes.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources may revoke the Mining Business Permit (Izin Usaha Pertambangan, or IUP) of 4643 local mining companies at the end of January. The Ministry says these companies still lack the clean and clear certificate (CnC) from regional authorities.

Vanguard Mining Corporation has engaged PT Yudha Bahkti Menggala, an Indonesian logistics company, as an exclusive partner for logistics and sea transportation to handle shipment of construction sand, reclamation sand and other construction aggregates for the Singaporean construction market.

Darold H Parken of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, advises that on January 8 he acquired ownership and control over 4.2 million common shares and 1.89 million share purchase warrants of Challenger Deep Resources Corporation from Ranjeet Sundher, a private individual pursuant to a share purchase agreement.

Kalimantan Gold plans to launch a US$1 million private placement of stock. Funds from the placement should allow the group to meet the main financial condition of its acquisition of a stake in the Beutong copper-gold project in Sumatra and to fund further exploration at Beruang Kanan prospect on the KSK Contract of Work in Kalimantan.

Southern Arc Minerals has released an update on its portfolio of projects in Indonesia - West Lombok, East Elang and Taliwang. The sale of the latter has been finalized while negotiations on the sale of West Lombok are ongoing.

Vanguard Mining Corporation announces that PT Mega Kencana Persada (MKP), a company owning a 330-hectare limestone concession in Mandailing Natal, North Sumatra, has confirmed that it has met all the requirements for licensing and permitting, and will be ready to commence production in early 2015.

Realm Resources has announced the results of a review of the operating cost assumptions used in the feasibility study and the valuation for its 51%-owned Katingan Ria Thermal Coal Project in Central Kalimantan. The FOB cash cost forecasts have been reduced by $8 per tonne, of 20%, to US$31 per tonne before royalties.

The Indonesian Coal Mining Association (APBI), has called on the country’s miners to set lower production targets by almost 25% next year in a bid to prop up coal prices, which are taking their toll on everyone involved in the coal industry.

Orpheus Energy Limited intends to raise approximately Aua$1.12 million from a partially underwritten, non-renounceable pro rata entitlement issue. Under the rights offer, eligible shareholders may subscribe for one fully paid ordinary share in the company for every three ordinary shares held.

PT Commonwealth Steel Indonesia, also known as Moly Cop Indonesia, has started operating a new steel ball plant in Cilegon, Banten. The plant, built at a cost of US$24 million, will annually produce 50,000 tonnes of forged mid-size steel balls when at full capacity.

PT Adaro Energy and China Shenhua Overseas Development have signed an MoU to initially develop a 2×300 MW mine mouth coal-fired power plant in East Kalimantan. This follows a meeting between high level representatives of both companies in Beijing, China, on November 9.

Churchill Mining has filed a request for the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes to reconsider the ruling handed down last month in which the arbitration panel agreed to a request by Indonesia to reconsider its procedure and to deal with issues of document authenticity as a preliminary matter.