JAKARTA: PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI), the operator of the Grasberg gold and copper mine in Timika, Papua, announced on Thursday that it would resume operations on March 12.
“We have advised our employees that operations will restart on Monday, March 12, following the temporary suspension of operations on Feb. 23,” company spokesperson Ramdani Sirait told The Jakarta Post on Thursday evening.
“We’re working with employees, union leaders and local communities to ensure that operations are restarted in a safe and secure manner,” he continued.
The company’s concentrate sales and deliveries would continue to be impacted until it was able to return to normal production levels, Ramdani said.
PTFI previously projected sales volumes of 930 million pounds of copper and 1.1 million ounces of gold for 2012. In the first quarter, the company was expected to produce 210 million pounds of copper and 400,000 ounces of gold in the first-quarter of 2012.
However, the estimates are currently under review and will be updated to reflect the impacts of work disruptions and the recent temporary work stoppage.
Starting Feb. 23, PTFI temporarily halted operations following violence and intimidation by workers who joined last year’s three-month strike threatening those who had not joined the strike.