Indonesia always had the problem of getting its thermal coal supply down narrow rivers and over rugged under-built terrain.
Even though the quality of its coal is of lower grade than Australian coal, it has surpassed Australia as the world's biggest exporter of thermal coal by volume, and topped total monthly coal imports to China, including both thermal and coking varieties.
Rudi Vann, analyst with Wood Mackenzie, projects Indonesian coal production to rise nearly 90% to 480m tonnes by 2020. The shock of the Australian floods could move China towards speedier investment in Indonesia's infrastructure to get coal out of the country from its hinterland, and quicken that growth.
Indonesia is openly courting such investment, having set a goal of attracting $160bn in foreign investment over the next few years.
At least one operator of handysized vessels has been reviewing its strategy to accommodate for a shift for a growth in coal trades between Indonesia, China and India.