September 15, 2025 | 06:08 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) reported a sharp drop in PT Freeport Indonesia’s (PTFI) output after a landslide struck the Grasberg Block Cave (GBC) underground mine in Tembagapura, Central Papua, on Monday night, September 8, 2025.
Director General of Mineral and Coal at ESDM, Tri Winarno, confirmed that operations at GBC remain suspended. He said the disaster has cut production by about 70 percent, leaving capacity at only 30 percent of normal levels.
“Production at GBC has stopped for now. Capacity has dropped significantly, possibly to only 30 percent,” Tri told reporters at the parliamentary complex on Monday, September 15.
Freeport’s average ore production in 2024 reached 208,356 tons per day, consisting of copper, gold, and silver. Of that total, GBC contributed about 133,800 tons, or 64 percent of overall output. The current disruption, therefore, has a major impact on company performance.
Tri also revealed that seven workers remain trapped in the landslide, including two foreign nationals from Chile and South Africa, and five Indonesian citizens. “The Freeport team and our ministry are still carrying out search efforts. Their condition cannot yet be confirmed. Whether they are safe, only God knows,” he said.
Freeport’s Vice President of Corporate Communications, Katri Krisnati, explained that a large volume of material had blocked access from one of the underground intake points, restricting evacuation efforts.
“The workers’ location has been identified, and they are believed to be in a safe condition. Our team is working to clear access so evacuation can proceed quickly and safely,” Katri said.
She added that GBC normally relies on remote-operated equipment, but the avalanche had blocked routes in the mine development area. “All other workers have been confirmed safe,” she noted.
The Grasberg mine has a history of accidents. On May 14, 2013, a similar landslide killed 28 of 34 trapped workers. Just two weeks later, another worker was killed after being struck by mud material.
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