The Grasberg mine is the largest gold mine in the world and the third-largest West Papua copper mine. The mine is located in Mimika Regency, Papua, Indonesia, near latitude -4.053 and longitude 137.116.
Biggest West Papua Copper Mine
This mine is owned and operated by PT Freeport Indonesia, consisting of US-based Freeport-McMoRan (48.74%) and the Government of Indonesia (51.23%). Building a mine on top of a mountain is $3 billion. In 2004, they estimated the mine to have 46 million ounces of gold reserves. In 2006 production was 610,800 tonnes of West Papua copper mine; 58,474,392 grams of gold; and 174,458,971 grams of silver.
Dutch geologist Jean-Jacquez Dozy visited Indonesia in 1936 to scale the Jayawijaya Mountains glacier in the province of Irian Jaya in West Papua. He made notes on a strange black stone with a greenish tint. In 1939, he filled out records on Ertsberg (Dutch for “ore mountain”).
However, the events of World War II caused the report to go unnoticed. Twenty years later, geologist Forbes Wilson, working for the mining company Freeport, reads the report. He was on a quest to find nickel reserves but forgot about it after reading the report. He quit smoking and trained his body to prepare for the trip to check on Ertsberg. Forbes Wilson and Del Flint led expeditions and discovered large copper deposits at Ertsberg in 1960.
Grasberg copper yields increased from 515,400 tonnes in 2004 to 793,000 tonnes in 2005. Gold production increased from 1.58 million ounces to 3.55 million ounces.
Facts About Grasberg, the Largest West Papua Copper Mine
1. West Papua Copper Mine Become the World’s Largest Mine
The Grasberg Mine is the largest West Papua copper mine in the world, with a capacity of 400 metric tons. This is the only mine known to have the second-largest copper reserves in the world. In addition, Grasberg has the largest gold reserves in the world.
2. Managed by PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI)
The government of Indonesia owns 51% of the company managing the Grasberg mine through Mining Industry Indonesia (MIND ID), and Freeport McMoran owns the other 49%.
3. Produces Abundant Gold and Copper
The mining region in the Grasberg has both open-pit and underground mines. A total of 528 trillion ounces of copper and 53 million ounces (Moz) of gold have been produced at Gasberg, including 46 Moz of gold and more than 432 Boz of copper from the Grasberg open pit between 1990 and 2019.
4. Grasberg Open Mine Ends and Closes in 2019
The Grasberg open pit ended in 2019. The purpose of this is to maintain and monitor slope stability. Although the open-pit mine is closed, PT Freeport Indonesia has received a special mining business permit (IUPK) until 2041. They will continue mining in the area where the mine is underground.
Freeport’s underground mine is located about 1,700 meters below the surface of the Grasberg plateau, which is 4,200 meters above sea level (masl).
Freeport Indonesia President Director Tony Wenas said that the Grasberg open pit mine is entering a transition phase to an underground mine that has been under construction since 2015.
5. Grasberg Found Since the Era of Colonialism
Grasberg West Papua copper mine has existed since the era of colonialism. Based on historical records, in the 1930s, Dutch explorers discovered a copper “field” in Jayawijaya, Papua.
Then, in 1973, then PT. Freeport started mining activities there. There can be no separation between it and the success of Indonesian soldiers who took control of Papua in 1996.
Final Takeaway
This reviews the facts about the Grasberg mine, the world’s largest gold mine, located in Puncak Jaya, Mimika, Papua.
The main facilities around the open West Papua copper mine site include maintenance workshops, limestone quarries, processing plants, and other supporting functions and offices.
