Freeport Confirms Grasberg Mine Will Return to Full Production by End of 2027

Mining has since resumed in several underground sections, including the Deep Mill Level Zone and Big Gossan deposits.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): PT Freeport Indonesia has reaffirmed that the massive Grasberg mine in Indonesia remains on schedule to return to full production by the end of 2027, despite recovery efforts taking longer than initially projected. The update came from chief executive officer Tony Wenas on Wednesday.

Wenas stated that the company expects the mine to reach full operational capacity in the second half of next year. The mine faced major disruption, including production suspensions, after a deadly underground mudflow in September last year that claimed seven lives.

Copper price highest in over a year on Grasberg disruption, Fed outlook

Mining has since resumed in several underground sections, including the Deep Mill Level Zone and Big Gossan deposits. Operations at the critical Grasberg Block Cave are gradually ramping up. The excessive moisture in the ore has forced the company to carry out modifications to mining chutes and build necessary additional infrastructure upgrades in order to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Grasberg is currently operating at 50% capacity. It is expected to reach 65% output later this year. Freeport projects copper cathode production of 800 million pounds and 700,000 ounces of gold in 2026, which will rise further to 1.2 billion pounds and 1 million ounces, respectively, by 2027.

Freeport’s Grasberg mine is one of the world’s largest producers of copper and gold.