CIL registers 5.7% production growth during April 2013

KOLKATA: Coal India Ltd ( CIL) began the financial year 2013-14 on a positive note as the Maharatna coal mining company during April 2013, fulfilled its targets in both the facets coal off-take and production, posting growth in the process.

CIL as a whole produced 35.75 million tonnes during April 2013 against 33.81 mt during the same month previous year registering a growth of 5.7%.

Coal off-take at 39.89 mt during the month was up by 2.13 mt compared to 37.76 mt in the same month last year. This was despite the fact that several state power utilities did not accept their committed quantity of coal as they were flush with coal at their plants. They have specifically requested CIL not to effect further supplies as their plants were replete with stocks.

Interestingly, the coal off-take for the month was 4.14 mt more than the actual production, which means the entire additional supply came from the liquidation of the ground stock. CIL began 2013-14 with a pithead stock of 57.86 mt which stood at 53.72 mt at the close of the month.

The growth in coal supplies to Power Utilities of the country registered a healthy 10.2% during April 2013. Power utilities of the country were supplied 29.55 mt of coal during the month against 26.82 mt in the same month previous fiscal.

CIL loaded an average of 201 rakes per day during the month against a loading of 181.5 rakes/day in the month April last year. The growth in coal loading during the month has been 10.7%.