JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (FCX) today resumes operation of underground mining after suspended since May 15, 2013 due to landslide, killing 13 workers.
Susilo Siswoutomo, vice minister for Energy and Mineral Mineral Resources, said the government allows Freeport to resume operation (of underground mining) after getting recommendations from the independent investigative team, mining inspector, police, and volcanology & geology board at Energy Ministry.
The Government had also in June 21, 2013 allowed Freeport to resume operation its open pit mining.
Freeport Indonesia had been working on underground mining, now reaching 400 meters of tunnel, part of 1,000 kilometers tunnel in Papua.
Freeport allocates investment cost of US$1 billion for the underground mining, claimed as the largest in the world.
This underground mining aims to replace the existing open mining as gold reserves is expected to narrow by 2016.