Freeport to Begin Production at New Underground Mine in 2029

PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) is developing an underground mine project named Kucing Liar in the Grasberg minerals district, Tembagapura, Mimika Regency, Central Papua. The Kucing Liar mine is expected to become one of the company’s main sources of copper and gold production in the next decade.

President Director of PT Freeport Indonesia Tony Wenas stated that the company has invested approximately US$1.4 billion, or Rp 25 trillion (assuming an exchange rate of Rp 17,923 per US dollar), in the development of the Kucing Liar project. The mine is targeted to begin operations in 2029.

"We are now starting (to develop) Kucing Liar, around 2029, it will begin mining. Currently, it is in development," Tony said when met in Jakarta, as quoted on Monday (10/8/2026).

According to a Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) report, development of the Kucing Liar mine has been ongoing since 2022 as part of a long-term strategy to maintain production sustainability in the Grasberg area.

"Since 2022, PTFI has been carrying out long-term mine development activities at the Kucing Liar deposit located in the Grasberg minerals district," the company’s first-half 2026 performance report stated.

Production from the Kucing Liar mine is targeted to begin ramping up around 2030, reaching a design capacity of approximately 130,000 metric tonnes of ore per day. At full operation, Kucing Liar is estimated to produce an average of 750 million pounds of copper and around 735,000 ounces of gold per year. The new mine is expected to sustain large-scale production for PT Freeport Indonesia in the Grasberg area over the long term.

As of 30 June 2026, PTFI had disbursed approximately US$1.4 billion, or around Rp 25 trillion (assuming an exchange rate of Rp 17,923 per US dollar), for the development of the Kucing Liar project. The company estimates that additional investment in the project will reach approximately US$4 billion, equivalent to around Rp 71.69 trillion, through to 2033.