DSI Australia assists with the expansion of PT Freeport Indonesia

For decades, the Freeport-Mc- MoRan Copper and Gold and PT Freeport Indonesia team has worked to explore, develop and mine one of the world’s truly great copper and gold ore zones - the Ertsberg-Grasberg minerals district in the province of Papua.

PT Freeport Indonesia currently operates the Grasberg open pit and the Deep Ore Zone (DOZ) underground block cave mine. Production at the Grasberg open pit mine in 2006 averaged 184,200 metric tons of ore per day and production from the DOZ underground mine averaged 45,200 metric tons per day. However, PT Freeport Indonesia are currently expanding the DOZ underground mine to a targeted 80,000 metric tons per day.

In 2006, copper ore grades averaged 0.85% and copper recovery averaged 86.1%. At the same time, gold ore grades averaged 0.85 grams/ metric ton and gold recovery rates averaged 80.9%.

Even though the Grasberg open pit has a long reserve life, what makes PT Freeport Indonesia so exciting is what lies beneath the world class open pit reserves: The underground deposits - PT Freeport’s "underlying assets".

Access to the wealth of proven undeveloped underground deposits is the key driving force to future production. The Common Infrastructure Project involves the development of tunnels that will provide access to the future underground mines, including Grasberg Underground, Kucing Liar, Mill Level Zone, Deep Mill Level Zone and Big Gossan, for the next 34 years.

DSI Australia has worked closely with PT Freeport on these expansion plans and provided the technical assistance for the ground support selection procedures for the new underground developments. DSI Australia’s existing contract with PT Freeport Indonesia has provided the framework for DSI Australia to supply ground support products for the Common Infrastructure Project. These products include thread bar bolts, friction bolts and steel wire mesh.

Owner
PT Freeport Indonesia, Indonesia

DSI Unit
DSI Pty. Ltd., Bennetts Green, Australia
DSI Scope
technical assistance; future supply contract for threadbar bolts, friction bolts and steel wire mesh 
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