Taking Advantage Of The Residual Mining Sand, Freeport Is Ready To Support Infrastructure Development In Papua

PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) in Mimika Regency, Central Papua Province, supports infrastructure development in Papua by utilizing sand from mining or tailing for raw materials mixed with asphalt.

"So the tailing is used to coat the asphalt foundation as a substitute for sand," said General Superintendent Tailing Utilization of PTFI Sastro Samser Siburian, in a written statement, quoted from Antara, Sunday, November 12.

According to him, the asphalt tailing is used for asphalting at several PTFI facilities in Timika.

"In 2020 we have sent tailing material as material for road infrastructure aggregates in Merauke. A similar project this year is to help accelerate Papua's infrastructure," he said.

He explained that currently asphalt with a mixture of tailings has been used at several points in the lowland area of the PTFI working area, namely on roads around offices of the OB Building and the Nemangkawi Mining Institute (IPN).

"Also at water treatment facilities in Kuala Kencana, Rimba Papua Hotel (RPH), Kuala Kencana checkpoint, and access roads to Rimba Papua Golf," he said.

He added that laboratory test results showed mixed density with a low value of 99.23 percent and a high of 102.35 percent, so that the asphalt tailing had met the quality standards of AASHTO T 166.

"We have collaborated with the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) to test the asphalt tailing in Merauke Regency and the results are highly recommended for a mixture of asphalt," he said.