Mangalore: The Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd (KIOCL) is looking ahead for new mining areas in Jharkhand or Issa as well as Tumkur and Bellary districts in Karnataka, according to its chairman and managing director S Murari.

The company had requested the government to grant lease in these four areas, he told reporters in an informal chat in Mangalore on June 6 night.

The Orissa government had urged KIOCL to take up mining operations in Ramaldurga, he said, adding that the company was awaiting the Centre's nod. The Jharkhand and Karnataka forest departments had requested KIOCL to make a survey.

The company had made a record turnover of Rs 722 crore during 2001-2002, Murari said adding it was contemplating to finalise commissioning of ductile iron spun pipe plant in two or three years.

KISCO, a subsidiary of the company, on June 7 exported 30,000 metric tonne (MT) of basic grade pig iron to Malaysia, and had plans to export three more shipments this year, he said.

The company's next plan was to enter into the power and coke production.

PTI