Freeport Indonesia's Copper Ore Production to Remain at 65% in 2026 Due to Landslide

PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) projects its mining production capacity will reach 65% in 2026, a direct consequence of a landslide that occurred in the Grasberg Block Cave (GBC) underground mine area in September 2025. President Director of PTFI Tony Wenas explained that the company remains focused on the operational recovery phase following last year’s incident. He stressed that the company is prioritising ensuring the mining area is completely safe before pushing for a production increase. “As we know, this year PTFI is still only at 60% capacity from the upstream side because of the landslide that occurred in September 2025. We are carrying out repairs to ensure that everything is truly safe, so the production ramp-up is proceeding somewhat slower than we had previously estimated, reaching 65% of total capacity this year,” he stated during a Hearing Meeting (RDP) with Commission XII of the Indonesian House of Representatives in Jakarta on Tuesday (14/7/2026). The daily ore production volume has also declined, with a 2026 target of 124,000 tonnes. This figure is lower compared to the 2025 realisation, which had reached 139,000 tonnes of ore per day before operations were halted. “In 2026, the amount of metal we will produce is approximately 800 million pounds of copper and 700,000 ounces of gold, or equivalent to about 21 tonnes,” he elaborated. The company is targeting a gradual increase in production capacity to return to normal levels of over 200,000 tonnes of ore per day. In the first half of 2027, mining production capacity is planned to increase to 75% and is projected to fully recover to 100% only by the end of 2027. “In 2027, we can reach 1.2 billion pounds of copper and one million ounces of gold, or around 31 tonnes. And in 2028, there will be an increase to 1.6 billion pounds of copper and 1.4 million ounces of gold, or 43 tonnes of gold, and so on until 2030,” he added. Furthermore, PTFI is also preparing the development of a new mine, the Kucing Liar Block, which is scheduled to begin production in 2029. This is being prepared to replace the Deep Mill Level Zone (DMLC) block, whose volume is predicted to decline in the future. “This is to replace DMLC, whose tonnage is starting to decrease, so that the stability or continuity of mining at around 220,000 tonnes of ore per day can be maintained,” he concluded.