Indonesia plans news conference on $3.9bn Freeport copper mine deal
JAKARTA – Indonesia's Energy Ministry plans to hold a ceremony on Thursday linked to a $3.9-billion share purchase deal involving Freeport McMoRan, Rio Tinto and state miner Inalum, it said in a document.
The exact purpose of the ceremony, taking place at 4 p.m. Jakarta time (09:00 GMT), was unclear. A spokesman for Inalum said via text message that it would be followed by a news conference.
US mining giant Freeport in July agreed on a price and structure for the sale of a majority stake in the world's second-biggest copper mine to the Indonesian government, potentially paving the way to ending a long-running dispute over mining rights in the country.
Rio holds a 40%participating interest in the Grasberg mine.
"We're moving toward a good direction and are trying to close the deal as soon as possible," said Freeport Indonesia Executive Vice President Tony Wenas.
"Hopefully it will be done this year - to close the whole deal."
Wenas later added that "this afternoon there will be a milestone again that we've reached with the government". He did not give further details.
Various ministers have been invited to ceremony on Thursday.
The ownership divestment of Grasberg is one of the steps Freeport must take as it transfers rights to the mine from its current operating contract to special mining rights.
An official at Rio Tinto Indonesia declined to comment.
A spokesman for Inalum deferred questions on the matter to the energy ministry.
An energy ministry spokesman declined to comment on the matter.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation













