Inside Indonesia's Second-Largest Mine in the World, Atop a 4,000-Metre Peak

PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) has the largest copper mining area in the world. CNBC Indonesia had the opportunity to take a look at the appearance of and the route to the largest mine.

Uniquely, the PTFI mining area is located at an altitude of around 4,000 metres above sea level, and the overland journey involves challenging terrain.

Moreover, temperatures in the PTFI mining area are in the low teens Celsius, with thin oxygen levels.

The access route to the PTFI mining area is one of the most difficult in the world because of its steep and winding terrain. This is because the PTFI mine is located in the remote Jaya Wijaya Mountains, Mimika, Central Papua.

To reach the PTFI mine, there is a tramway (aerial cable car) stretching 1,595 metres from an altitude of 2,836 metres above sea level to 3,574 metres above sea level. The tramway was built in 1989 and began operating in 1990.

The tram, with a capacity of 100 people, offers a variety of views. One of them is the mill, which processes copper concentrate before it can be sent to the smelter.

After arriving at the Grasberg open-pit mining area, the weather feels very cold and foggy. From the Grasberg area, the ‘eternal snow’ of Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid) can be seen if it is not covered by clouds and fog.

PTFI itself has two types of mining: open-pit mining at Grasberg at an altitude of 4,200 metres above sea level, and underground mining at Grasberg Block Cave (GBC), Deep Mill Level Zone (DMLZ), and Big Gossan at altitudes of 2,500–3,070 metres above sea level.

Currently, the only PTFI mining still in operation is underground mining. PTFI’s Special Mining Business Permit (IUPK) expires in 2041 and is currently in the process of being extended until the end of the mine’s life.

Meanwhile, the Grasberg open-pit mine has not been in operation since 2020.