Freeport Smelter Not Operating Due To Mining Production Termination

JAKARTA - PT Freeport Indonesia President Director Tony Wenas said that the Freeport smelter located in Gresik, East Java, was not operating because it had not received a concentrat supply since the landslide of an underground mine on the Grassberg Block Cave (GBC).

"Now the operation can be said to have stopped because the concentrate was not there," said Tony Wenas when met on the sidelines of the Indonesia International Sustainability Forum (IISF), in Jakarta, Saturday.

Since the wet ore mud landslide occurred in the underground mining area of the Grassberg Block Cave (GBC) Extraction 28-30 Panel, Tembagapura, Mimika Regency, Central Papua, on September 8, 2025, Freeport has stopped mining operations.

The operational dismissal aims to focus resources on evacuating seven workers trapped in the mining area.

"We are currently all in the phase of stopping production from September 8. All of our mines have all stopped," Tony said.

All victims were found gradually, until October 6, Freeport stated the search was complete. However, to this day, underground mining operations at the Grassberg Block Cave (GBC) are still stalled, as Freeport together with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) conducts investigations and evaluations.

Smelter Freeport, which is located in Gresik, East Java, does not receive a concentrat supply from other places. Now, Tony Wenas is still thinking about other alternatives to drive production.

"Hopefully we can immediately operate even though we are not in full capacity, so that there can be a concentrate that we produce to be sent to smelters," Tony said.

The implications of stopping Freeport's mining operations for more than a month on the realization of company production will soon be calculated. Tony said that the focus for Freeport is currently mining restoration after the completion of the evacuation of seven victims.