Brazil's Vale: Oman, Malaysia Pellet Plants On Tap - Report

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Brazil's Vale: Oman, Malaysia Pellet Plants On Tap - Report4-18-08 3:07 PM EDT

RIO DE JANEIRO -(Dow Jones)- Brazilian mining giant Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (RIO), or Vale, expects to move forward with pellet plant projects in Oman and Malaysia, a company executive told the local Estado news agency Friday.

Vale has completed a feasibility study to build a pellet plant to produce 10 million metric tons per year in Oman, said Jose Carlos Martins, Vale's director of iron ore mining. According to Martins, Vale's board should vote to approve the project in April or May.

Martins made the comments during the inauguration of a third pellet plant at pellet producer Samarco. Samarco is a 50-50 joint venture between Vale and BHP Billiton (BHP).
Construction on the Oman pellet project was expected to begin later in 2008, Martins said.
In addition, construction on a pellet plant in Malaysia should start in 2009, Martins said. Vale is currently looking for a local partner to also take part in the project, which has also not yet been given the green light by Vale's board.
"We have an interest in meeting growing demand in Southeast Asia," Martins told Estado.

-By Jeff Fick, Dow Jones Newswires; 55-21-3288-5011; jeff.fick@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires
04-18-081507ET
Copyright (c) 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

10 top projects

Hi,

One of the things that fascinate me is the way how big construction projects are dreamed up, and then dished out. Based on newspaper reports and other public sources, I have listed below 10 top projects that are in the market in this land called Malaysia.

1. LRT (10billion allocation, fund to raised by SPNB). Components :
a) new line from Kota Dsara to Cheras about 40km - RM6bil - a name that goes somthing like Karmaic Design is being touted as being a front runner for the project.
b) extension of Kelana Jaya Line to USJ - 10km - RM2bil.
c) extension of Sri Petaling Line to Puchong (IOI Mall) - 10km - RM 2bil.
The extensions (b) and (c) will join up somewhere near Tesco Puchong.

2. Johor Flood Mitigation Project
Estimated to cost RM6billion. Concept proposals are being worked out by 6 consultants. While publicly saying that the recent flood was a 100 year frequency, DID friends are saying it may be a 200-year return period (a way engineers measure intensity of flood) deluge.

3. Integrated Transport Stations (ITS) in Gombak, Bandar Tasik Selatan and Jalan Ipoh. The one in Bandar Tasik Selatan is about to be awarded to Maju Group (or telah di"Maju"kan) who was originally awarded the contract a few years ago. The construction was then halted. Gombak is in the list of 880 projects to be tendered out though some parties are lobbying hard for it. Jalan Ipoh ITS may be included in Sentul - Batu Caves rail doubling project by YTL.

4. Upgrading of Hospitals - KL Selangor Package

5. Upgrading of Hospitas - East Coast Package

6. Upgrading of Hospitals - Northern Package

7. Upgrading of Hospitals - Southern Package

8. Institut Aminudin Baki, a training centre for Minstry of Education. Likely to be located in Sepang or Nilai.

9. Institut Perubatan dan Pergigian Termaju USM. Govt has allocated 200m for the purcahse of land in Seberang Prai. Another RM300m is needed to build the institute. BLT proposals are welcomed.

10. Universities in Terengganu are top priorities as Govt wants to maintain hold on the state in the coming General Elections. There are now three universities in Terengganu - Universiti Darul Iman, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, and another one is the upgraded Kolej Ugama Sultan Zainal Abidin or KUSZA.

11. New New Klang Valley Expressway - to link Kota Damansara to Guthrrie Highway and SABA Road. SABA is Shah Alam Batu Arang. Looks like somebody connected to a pop diva is getting the project.