BUMA Australia Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Indonesian mining firm PT BUMA Internasional Grup, has secured a multi-year contract extension worth AU$740 million (US$493.4 million) with Blackwater Operations Pty Ltd, part of Australian coal producer Whitehaven Coal Mining Limited. The extension secures BUMA Australia’s continued operations at the Blackwater Mine in Central Queensland’s Bowen Basin, one of Australia’s largest open-cut metallurgical coal operations. Under the agreement, the company will provide pre-strip mining services through June 2030. Unlike thermal coal, which is primarily used for electricity generation, metallurgical coal is a key raw material in the steelmaking process.
“This extension underscores Whitehaven’s confidence in BUMA Australia to deliver safely and efficiently at scale across one of Queensland’s largest metallurgical coal operations,” BUMA Australia chief executive Johan Ballot said in a statement on Monday.
The Blackwater Mine is located in the Bowen Basin, one of Australia’s most productive coal regions. Spanning an approximately 80-kilometer strike length across multiple pits, the mine supplies premium metallurgical coal to international steelmakers, particularly in Asia. Its scale and geological complexity require extensive pre-strip activities to ensure safe and efficient access to coal seams.
BUMA Australia has operated at the Blackwater site since 2012 through its predecessor operations and continues to play a central role in large-scale mining activities across multiple pits. The company currently employs around 390 permanent workers at the site, with most of the workforce drawn from the surrounding Central Queensland region.
Established in 1990, BUMA Internasional Grup operates across four core business pillars: mining services, mine ownership, technology development, and social enterprise. The group has operations in Indonesia, Australia, and the United States and employs more than 13,000 people globally. Its mining services arm is anchored by PT Bukit Makmur Mandiri Utama, one of the largest mining services providers in Indonesia and Australia.
The group expanded into mine ownership in 2024 with the acquisition of Atlantic Carbon Group Inc., positioning itself as a producer of ultra-high-grade anthracite in the United States. That same year, it entered into a binding agreement with US-based Peabody Energy Corporation to acquire a 51 percent stake in the Dawson Complex, a major Australian metallurgical coal mine, for US$455 million. The deal includes US$355 million in upfront cash, with the balance payable over four years.
The Dawson Complex produces more than 8 million tonnes of coal annually and has confirmed reserves supporting more than 20 years of operations, with additional resources extending its potential lifespan to over 50 years.
BUMA Internasional Grup has also expanded into future-facing commodities by acquiring a stake in 29Metals Limited, an Australian-based copper and base metals producer, and investing in AIM-listed Asiamet Resources Limited for its flagship BKM Copper Project in Central Kalimantan.
The group’s portfolio further includes PT Bukit Teknologi Digital (BTech), which focuses on developing deep-learning technologies to improve operational efficiency, reduce emissions, and mitigate occupational health and safety risks.
December 23, 2025, The Jakarta Post
(https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2025/12/23/indonesias-buma-lands-493m-extension-at-australian-coal-mine.html)