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A map included in the September 2011 presentation - see right -- illustrated the dispersed nature of the deposits.
By November 2011 the ''Wall Street Journal'' reported that BHP Billiton "plans to begin work on the $US1.34 billion ($1.3bn) IndoMet coal project in Indonesia within weeks, opening up a new mining province to help meet Asian demand." The story stated that the Haju mine was the first stage of the IndoMet project "which could be producing five million metric tonnes of coking coal annually by 2017." (The $1.34 billion figure refers to the inferred value of the depoit at the time, not the cost of developing it). It also reported that the project would produce 500,000 tonnes in 2016 and five million tonnes in 2017 with potential for further expansion to 10 million tonnes a year. "PT Lahai will construct a road and a mine (Haju) and related infrastructure, commencing, subject to approvals, in the fourth quarter of 2011," a BHP spokeswoman wrote in an email to WSJ reporters. The spokeperson stated in the email that this would be followed by investments in mines and infrastructure by PT Maruwai and PT Juloi, two other joint venture companies.<ref name=WSJ>David Fickling and David Winning, [http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970203716204577015053729515874 "BHP Billiton to Begin Work on Indonesia Coal Project"], ''Wall Street Journal'', November 3, 2011. (This story was republished in ''The Australian'' as well.</ref> (It is worth noting that at no time has BHP Billiton ever publicly referred to the project costing $US1.34 billion.)
The ''Wall Street Journal'' story appears to have been prompted by a November 2 conference presentation by BHP Billiton CEO, Andrew Mackenzie, Group Executive and Chief Executive Non-Ferrous. The presentation stated that "our IndoMet Coal project provides us with another high quality option."<ref name=Mac>Andrew Mackenzie, Group Executive and Chief Executive Non-Ferrous, [http://www.bhpbilliton.com/home/investors/reports/Documents/2011/111102%20Deutsche%20Bank%20BRICS%20MetalsMining%20Conference.pdf "Deutsche Bank BRICS Metals & Mining Conference", Presentation to the Deutsche Bank BRICS Metals & Mining Conference, London, November 2, 2011, page 12.</ref> At the time, the IndoMet coal project was the company's fifth largest metallurgical coal deposit.
