Freeport Indonesia targets September restart for Manyar Smelter, CEO says

PT Freeport Indonesia, a copper and gold mining company, is aiming to resume operations at its Manyar smelter in September, as copper concentrate production from its Grasberg mine gradually recovers, Chief Executive Officer Tony Wenas told reporters on Friday.

Concentrate shipments from the Grasberg mine, located in Indonesia's Papua region, have steadily resumed to the Manyar smelter in East Java, and production at the facility is on track to restart next month as planned, Wenas said.

Operations at Grasberg's main mine were suspended last year following a fatal mud flow incident. The recovery process is continuing, and the mine is expected to approach full capacity by the end of 2027, according to Wenas.

Since mining activities resumed, Freeport's other smelter, PT Smelting, has been given priority in receiving Grasberg's copper concentrate output.

Combined copper cathode production from both the Manyar and PT Smelting facilities is estimated to reach nearly 400,000 metric tons this year.