South West Pinnacle Exploration Limited has reached an important milestone with the Government of India officially notifying the company as an accredited prospecting agency under the Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. The notification, issued by the Ministry of Coal and published in the Gazette of India on 26 November 2005, now enables the company to take up full-scale prospecting and exploration activities for coal and lignite.
With this accreditation in place, SWPE can finally begin detailed exploration, geological report preparation and approval, along with mining plan formulation and approvals for the Jogeshwar and Khas Jogeshwar coal blocks in Jharkhand. These blocks, which are partially explored, were allocated earlier by the Ministry of Coal, and had been awaiting an officially recognised exploration agency before any meaningful progress could be made.
The move by the Ministry is being seen as a strong and forward-looking step, as it clears the way for early-stage development of these coal blocks. By allowing accredited agencies like SWPE to begin work without delay, the government aims to fast-track exploration timelines, reduce administrative bottlenecks, and enable quicker commencement of coal mining operations. This is expected to have long-term benefits for the sector, particularly at a time when timely coal production remains crucial for India’s energy security.
