JAKARTA, RAKYAT NEWS – In a significant development for Indonesia’s mining industry, PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) has successfully sent its first shipment of 125 kilograms of gold bars to PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (Antam). The gold, with a purity of 99.99%, is valued at approximately IDR 207 billion. This marks a milestone in the country’s efforts to boost its mining industry by integrating upstream and downstream operations.

The shipment represents Freeport’s achievement as the first integrated copper mining company in Indonesia to refine anode slime into pure gold bars. Tony Wenas, President Director of PTFI, emphasized that this development is a crucial step in Indonesia’s gold downstream efforts. The company processed 12.56 tons of anode slime at its precious metal refinery (PMR) in Gresik, East Java, producing 189 kilograms of gold, with 125 kilograms achieving the desired purity level.

As part of the agreement signed in November 2024, Freeport and Antam established a gold trading deal to support Indonesia’s gold value chain. This agreement involves the annual supply of 30 tons of gold bars with 99.99% purity from Freeport, which will then be processed at Antam’s refineries. The partnership is expected to accelerate the country’s gold industry growth and reduce dependency on imported gold.

Freeport’s PMR facility, one of the largest of its kind in Indonesia, has an annual capacity of refining up to 50 tons of gold, 200 tons of silver, 30 kilograms of platinum, and 375 kilograms of palladium. This capacity not only supports Freeport’s gold production but also strengthens the national mining sector’s independence.