Jakarta: Freeport-McMoRan has delayed the full restart of its giant Grasberg copper mine in Indonesia to early 2028, pushing back its earlier target of restoring full operations by the end of 2027.
The Grasberg mining complex, located in Central Papua and operated by PT Freeport Indonesia, continues to recover from a severe mudflow incident that disrupted underground mining activities last year. Company officials said additional work on logistics and ore-handling infrastructure was required, leading to the revised timeline.
According to the company, current production at the mine remains at around 40% to 50% of normal capacity. Freeport now plans a gradual ramp-up in output over the next two years before reaching full capacity in early 2028.
The delay is expected to add pressure to global copper supplies, as Grasberg is one of the world’s largest copper and gold mines and accounts for a significant share of global copper production. Analysts believe the slower recovery could support higher copper prices amid ongoing supply constraints in the global metals market.
The company had partially resumed operations in sections of the mine unaffected by the incident, but recovery efforts have reportedly been slowed by wetter-than-expected underground conditions and the need for infrastructure modifications to ensure operational safety.