Can't Export, Freeport Mining Operations Are Normal
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PT Freeport Indonesia's mining activities are expected to remain normal even though it has not yet obtained an extension of the recommendation for export licenses for copper concentrates that have been held since February 15. Because the majority of concentrate production is absorbed domestically.
ESDM Ministry's Director of Mineral Business Development Yunus Saifulhak said the delay in export licenses had not affected the production of copper and gold from the Freeport mine. This is because the storage warehouse is still sufficient to accommodate the volume of concentrate going abroad. In addition, he asserted, the majority of Freeport's production is prioritized to meet domestic concentrate needs.
"The production is more for domestic needs, namely to fulfill the needs of Pt Smelting in Gresik and the rest is only exported," he said.
PT Smelting in Gresik
Yunus added, warehouse capacity is still sufficient because of the projected decline in Freeport's production this year. Because, this year, Freeport has made a transition from surface mining to underground mining. In an official statement from Freeport McMorran, it was also stated that there was a projected decline in production from the mine in Indonesia.
The decline in production is projected to last for 2019-2020. Furthermore, Freeport's mineral mine production in Papua is targeted to start increasing significantly in 2021.
The lower production magnitude is reflected in the sale of minerals from the Freeport mine in Indonesia. In 2019, copper sales from mines in Papua are estimated at around 600 million pounds and 800 thousand ounces of gold. Meanwhile copper sales volume reached 1.1 billion pounds and gold 2.4 million ounces.
underground mine
However, ESDM Ministry Director General of Minerals and Coal Bambang Gatot revealed that the transition period from the Grasberg mine to the underground mine had not had a significant impact on the decline in production. This was reflected in Freeport's export quota application that was not much different from last year's volume, which was around 1.2 million tons.
"Not yet this year. Maybe by 2020 the exports have just dropped dramatically, "he said.
Smelting General Affair Manager Sapto Hadi previously said that Freeport had indeed announced a decline in production due to the transition of mining methods from open mining to underground mining. But he called Freeport committed to supply all 1.1 million copper concentrates to Smelting this year.
"This decline in the Freeport mine production will not affect our production," he said.
Smelter Evaluation
Regarding the extension of the export permit recommendation, Yunus said, it depends on the evaluation process of the construction of processing and refining facilities (smelters). The duration of the evaluation process was because Freeport proposed a design revision of the smelter. It's just that he did not explain when the evaluation was completed.
"It depends on them completing the documents," Yunus said in Jakarta.
The revised design of the smelter is only in the form of adding an Anode Sludge treatment facility or Anode Slime. While the copper concentrate smelter capacity is still 2 million tons. The slime anode processing capacity reaches 6,000 tons per year. The construction is in collaboration with PT Smelting which has been producing slime anodes.
The plan, as many as 2,000 tons of slime anode will be supplied to the latest facility. So far Smelting exports slime anodes to Japan and South Korea. With the addition of these facilities, the Freeport smelter investment swelled to US $ 3 billion.
Slime Anode is a by-product of purifying copper concentrate. Even though it is not the main mineral type since 2017 yesterday it has been mixed with slime included in the category that must be processed domestically.
The submission of this design is material for evaluating the progress of the smelter. Because there are provisions that state that the evaluation results of at least 90% of the work plan for the construction of smelters per six months. If the provision is not fulfilled, then the export permit will not be issued. Actually, the draft revision of the smelter was not the first time submitted by Freeport.
In February 2017 yesterday, Freeport had submitted a design revision of the smelter. The revision was in the form of moving the location of the smelter from the land owned by PT Petrokimia Gresik to the industrial area of the Java Integrated Industrial and Port Estate (JIIPE) in Gresik, East Java.
Freeport has rented Petrochemical land since early 2014. However, during the 2014-2017 period, the progress of the smelter construction has not been significant. This is because at that time Freeport wanted the certainty of the continuation of the operation after the contract expired in 2021. Now the government has given an extension of the operation and Freeport is committed to completing the smelter no later than 2023.
IN INDONESIAN
Tidak Bisa Ekspor, Operasi Tambang Freeport Beroperasi Normal
Kegiatan pertambangan PT Freeport Indonesia diperkirakan tetap berjalan normal meski belum juga memperoleh perpanjangan rekomendasi izin ekspor konsentrat tembaga yang dimiliki berakhir sejak 15 Februari kemarin. Pasalnya, mayoritas produksi konsentrat terserap di dalam negeri.
Direktur Pembinaan Pengusahaan Mineral Kementerian ESDM Yunus Saifulhak menuturkan, tertundanya izin ekspor belum mempengaruhi produksi tembaga dan emas dari tambang Freeport.
Hal ini lantaran gudang penyimpanan masih cukup menampung volume konsentrat yang akan ke luar negeri. Selain itu, dia menegaskan, mayoritas produksi Freeport diutamakan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan konsentrat di dalam negeri.
“Produksinya lebih banyak untuk kebutuhan dalam negeri, yaitu untuk pemenuhan kebutuhan Pt Smelting di Gresik dan sisanya baru diekspor,” kata
dia.
Yunus menambahkan, kapasitas gudang masih mencukupi juga lantaran adanya proyeksi penurunan produksi Freeport di tahun ini. Pasalnya, pada tahun ini, Freeport melakukan masa transisi dari tambang permukaan ke tambang bawah tanah.
Dalam keterangan resmi Freeport McMorran juga disebutkan adanya proyeksi penurunan produksi dari tambangnya di Indonesia tersebut. Penurunan produksi ini diproyeksikan akan berlangsung selama 2019-2020. Selanjutnya, produksi tambang mineral Freeport di Papua ditargetkan mulai naik signifIkan pada 2021.
Besaran produksi yang lebih rendah itu tercermin dalam penjualan mineral dari tambang Freeport di Indonesia. Pada 2019 ini, penjualan tembaga dari tambang di Papua diperkirakan sekitar 600 juta pounds dan emas 800 ribu ounces. Sementara volume penjualan tembaga pada lalu mencapai 1,1 miliar pounds dan emas 2,4 juta ounces.
Namun, Direktur Jenderal Mineral dan Batu bara Kementerian ESDM Bambang Gatot mengungkapkan, masa transisi dari tambang Grasberg ke tambang bawah tanah ini belum berdampak signifikan pada penurunan produksi. Hal itu tercermin dari permohonan kuota ekspor yang diajukan Freeport tidak jauh beda dengan volume tahun lalu, yakni sekitar 1,2 juta ton.
“Tahun ini belum. Mungkin pada 2020 ekspornya baru turun drastis,” ujarnya.
Manager General Affair Smelting Sapto Hadi sebelumnya mengatakan, Freeport memang mengumumkan adanya penurunan produksi dikarenakan peralihan metode pertambangan dari penambangan terbuka menjadi penambangan bawah tanah. Namun dia menyebut Freeport berkomitmen memasok seluruh produksi 1,1 juta konsentrat tembaga kepada Smelting pada tahun ini.
“Penurunan produksi tambang Freeport ini tak akan berpengaruh terhadap produksi kami,” katanya.
Evaluasi Smelter
Terkait perpanjangn rekomendasi izin ekspor, Yunus mengatakan, tergantung dari proses evaluasi pembangunan fasilitas pengolahan dan pemurnian (smelter). Lamanya proses evaluasi lantaran Freeport mengajukan revisi desain smelter. Hanya saja dia tidak menjelaskan kapan evaluasi tersebut rampung.
“Tergantung mereka melengkapi dokumennya,” kata Yunus di Jakarta.
Adapun revisi rancangan smelter yakni hanya berupa penambahan fasilitas pengolahan lumpur auoda atau yang disebut anoDa slime. Sementara kapasitas smelter konsentrat tembaga tetap 2 juta ton. Kapasitas pengolahan anoda slime ini mencapai 6.000 ton per tahun. Pembangunannya bekerja sama dengan PT Smelting yang selama ini menghasilkan anoda slime.
Rencananya, sebanyak 2.000 ton anoda slime akan dipasok ke fasilitas teranyar tersebut. Selama ini Smelting mengekspor anoda slime ke Jepang dan Korea Selatan. Dengan penambahan fasilitas tersebut, maka investasi smelter Freeport membengkak menjadi US$ 3 miliar.
Anoda slime merupakan produk samping dari pemurnian konsentrat tembaga. Meski bukan jenis mineral utama, namun sejak 2017 kemarin arloda slime masuk dalam kategori yang harus diolah di dalam negeri.
Pengajuan desain ini menjadi bahan evaluasi kemajuan smelter. Pasalnya, ada ketentuan yang menyatakan hasil evaluasi minimal 90% dari rencana kerja pembangunan smelter per enam bulan. Bila ketentuan itu tidak dipenuhi, maka izin ekspor tidak akan diterbitkan. Sebenarnya revisi rancangan smelter bukan kali pertama diajukan Freeport.
Pada Februari 2017 kemarin, Freeport sudah mengajukan revisi desain smelter. Revisi itu berupa pemindahan lokasi smelter dari lahan milik PT Petrokimia Gresik menjadi ke kawasan industri Java Integrated Industrial and Port Estate (JIIPE) di Gresik, Jawa Timur.
Freeport menyewa lahan Petrokimia sejak awal 2014 silam. Namun selama rentang waktu 2014-2017, progres pembangunan smelter belum signifikan. Hal ini lantaran kala itu Freeport menginginkan kepastian kelanjutan operasi pasca kontrak berakhir di 2021. Kini pemerintah sudah memberi perpanjangan operasi dan Freeport berkomitmen menyelesaikan smelter paling lambat di 2023.
Investor Daily, Page-9, Monday, Feb 25, 2019
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