Riversdale Mining said Monday it expects to export first coking coal from its Benga project in Mozambique by early 2012, with a major ramp-up of the mine due in 2013.

Steve Mallyon said that Riversdale, now wholly owned by mining giant Rio Tinto, would initially produce around 2 million tonnes of coal at Benga, made up of 1.7 million tonnes of coking coal and 0.3 million of thermal coal.

"We can see the coal leaving Beira (port) either late this year or early next year," Mallyon told Reuters in an interview.

While production at the mine will already start in November this year, exports have been delayed by work on the export terminal at Beira port. Infrastructure developments are also likely to determine the timing of future projects, he said.

"As the port and rail capacity expands, so will Benga. Benga is scheduled to go to around 10 million tonnes of coal by 2013, 6 million tonnes coking and 4 millions thermal (coal)," he said.

Riversdale is exploring the option to transport coal using barges down the Zambezi river.

"Our plan is to pioneer the use of the river with initially 2 million tonnes per annum and build that up... technically 12 million tonnes, that's sort of order," Mallyon said.

Riversdale's large reserves of coking coal have relatively low costs and are well situated to serve China and India's booming markets. Analysts said Riversdale may eventually supply 5-10 percent of the global market for the key steel-making ingredient.

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