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Coal India received eight bids for consultancy services to modernise underground operations.
From 70 million tonnes in 1975, India’s underground production is now down to approximately 40 mt, a mere 7 per cent of the national coal production of over 550 mt. CIL produces a mere 36 mt from its 270-odd underground mines employing nearly three lakh people.
To reverse the trend the company recently invited bids from consultants.
According to sources, those responded include: a consortium led by SPb-Giproshakht of Russia; KPMG in collaboration with the US-based mining consultant John T. Boyd Company; PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in association with Indian School of Mines (ISM) and Singareni Collieries (SCCL); Mining technology consultant Runge Pincock Minarco of Australia; ARI a reputed consultant in Shale gas or oil extraction in the US; DMT an reputed consultant in underground mining in Germany; a consortium of miner Durham-based coal mining group Hargreaves in association with mining consultant Golder Associates; and state-owned Mecon.
Coal India will now evaluate the technical bids. The selected parties will be considered for commercial bidding. The process is likely to take a couple of months to complete. The successful bidder will inspect a total of 90 mines, including some abandoned mines and highly loss-making mines to suggest ways and means to improve the productivity.
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