Kloppers backs BHPB's commitment to South Africa

摘要

BHP Billiton has added two SA coal projects to its project pipeline and says this action plus a name change to its SA coal subsidiary - Ingwe - are proof of its continuing commitment to mining coal in the country. Ingwe has been renamed BHP Billiton Energy Coal so as to tie the operation in more closely with the BHP Billiton brand, according to the company, which added: "Energy Coal is critical to BHP Billiton and the South African energy coal operations are core to that business." Despite repeated denials there has been widespread speculation over the past two years that BHP Billiton intends disinvesting from its coal operations in South Africa. The speculation has been re-inforced by the group's actions in restructuring its operations; shelving capital expenditure programmes and selling major assets such as its Koornfontein and Optimum Colliery along with up to 6mt of its annual export allocation through Richards Bay.