Freeport's Grasberg copper mine resumes open-pit operations

JAKARTA (Scrap Monster) : According to sources, open-pit operations have resumed in small quantities at the Freeport’s Grasberg copper mine in the Indonesian eastern Papua province which was earlier hit by a massive tunnel collapse.

The company sources stated that the Government has done with the preliminary investigation into the tunnel collapse and has approved resumption of open-pit mining operations. The operations are expected to reach full capacity of 140,000 metric tons of ore daily output in 3-4 days. The company however stated that it is still awaiting Government approval for underground mining activities which is estimated to produce 80,000 metric tons daily output once operational. Safety inspection by the authorities is underway in underground mines where Freeport is reported to be conducting maintenance operations. The company has not yet received assurance from labor unions with respect to resumption of activities at the mine.

The tunnel collapse which trapped workers undergoing safety training programme in the mine on May 14^th had claimed the lives of 28 people and halted the production activities.

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., (FMCG) is one of the world's largest producers of copper and gold. Its headquarters are located in the Freeport-McMoRan Center in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Freeport is the largest publicly traded copper and molybdenum producer in the world. It mines and mills ores containing copper, gold, molybdenum and silver.

The Grasberg Mine is the second largest copper mine in the world and is located in the province of Papua in Indonesia near Puncak Jaya, the highest mountain in Papua.