Operations to resume at Freeport mine in Indonesia
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. will resume some openpit mining at its Grasberg complex in Indonesia, more than two weeks after a tunnel collapse killed 28 people at an underground training facility there, Reuters reported.
It will take the company two to three days to restart open-pit mining at its Grasberg complex, said Rozik Soetjipto, president director of Freeport Indonesia.
But underground production will remain shut until the completion of thorough safety inspections, the spokeswoman said.
Arizona-based Freeport suspended operations at Grasberg on May 15, a day after a training area in a tunnel, away from its main operations, caved in on 38 workers, in one of Indonesia’s worst mining disasters.
The openpit mine normally produces around 140 kt/d (154,000 stpd) of copper ore, while output from underground operations is 80 kt (88,000 stpd). The Indonesian government gave approval for the resumption of openpit mining on May 28.