Freeport, Smelting, Antam team up to build anode slime smelter

Gold and copper giant PT Freeport Indonesia, copper smelter operator PT Smelting, and IDX-listed mining firm PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (Antam) plan to team up in developing an anode slime smelter in Gresik, East Java, Kontan reported on Saturday.

This was revealed by Director General of Mineral and Coal Bambang Gatot Ariyono on Friday but did not provide further details about the plan.

PT Freeport spokesman Riza Pratama confirmed the planned project,saying that the planned smelter will have a capacity to refine 6,000 tons per year of anode slime, a by-product of concentrates production. He did not provide further details.

Meanwhile, Antam Corporate Secretary Tri Hartono said that the three companies are currently preparing a joint venture agreement for the planned anode slime smelter and precious metal refinery project. Under the plan, anode slime will be refined to produce dores, which would further into into gold bars. ?A 6,000 tpa anode slime capacity will produce 60 tons of gold,? Tri said.

PT Freeport owns 25 percent of Gresik-based PT Smelting, which is 60.5 percent owned by Mitsubishi Materials Cop, 9.5 percent Mitsubishi Corp Unimetal Ltd, and 5 percent Nippon Mining Metals Co Ltd.

PT Freeport, a local unit of US-based Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc, is also planning to build a US$2.3 billion copper concentrates smelter in Gresik. (*)