Freeport McMoRan has announced the temporary suspension of operations at its Grasberg Block Cave mine in Central Papua, Indonesia, after a substantial flow of wet material obstructed access within the mine.
The incident has limited evacuation pathways for seven contractor workers at the mine.
The primary focus is now on the safe evacuation of the seven workers, whose location is known and who are believed to be safe.
Efforts to clear the blockage and provide support to the trapped workers are ongoing, the company said.
Freeport McMoRan chairman of the board Richard C. Adkerson and president and CEO Kathleen Quirk said: “The safety and well-being of our workforce is always our number one priority. Our team is working diligently to bring our team members to safety as quickly as possible.”
The Grasberg Block Cave mine is one of the world’s most significant sources of copper and gold, managed by Freeport McMoRan through its subsidiary PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI), in which it holds a 48.76% interest.
Ore is extracted using remotely operated equipment at the mine, which also produces silver.
Freeport McMoRan’s first-quarter (Q1) profits for the year slightly exceeded predictions.
However, the company witnessed a decline in net income attributable to common shareholders, which fell to $352m, or $0.24 per share, in the three months ending 31 March, from $473m, or $0.32 per share, in the same period the previous year.
During Q1, Freeport McMoRan’s consolidated copper production totalled 868 million pounds, a decrease from 1.09 billion pounds reported in Q1 of the preceding year.
