'Only parts of operation suspended'

'Only parts of operation suspended'

SINGAPORE: PT Freeport Indonesia reiterated Monday that only parts of the operations at its open pit Grasberg gold and copper mine are suspended.

PT Freeport Indonesia, the mine operator, is a unit of New Orleans-based Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc.

"There are some parts of the open pit where you can't do anything because of the slippage," a PT Freeport spokesman told OsterDowJones, referring to a land slippage that occurred on Thursday at the Grasberg mine located in the province of Papua.

The spokesman was speaking in response to news reports on the Indonesian Mines and Energy Minister's statement that the company will stop production from its open pit mine for two weeks.

"The minister was saying that it will take about two weeks to clear the rocks and slippage," the spokesman said. "It doesn't mean the whole mine will be closed for two weeks."

The slippage killed two employees and injured five, while six are still missing. "For sure, the underground operations (at Grasberg) are still operating," said the spokesman. -- Dow Jones