The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Erick Thohir, asked Antam to manage the Wabu gold mine, formerly Freeport

ILLUSTRATION. PT Freeport Indonesia gold and copper mining – Grasberg mine in Tembagapura, Mimika, Papua. KONTAN / Lamgiat Siringoringo / 18/08/2018

Reporter: Yhulia Susanto Vendy | Editor: Guitarra Primary

KONTAN.CO.ID – JAKARTA. Minister of BUMN, Erick Thohir delivered a letter to Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif asking for the former PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) gold mine, namely the Wabu Block, to be managed by PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (ANTM).

Erick Thorir noted that Antam as a state-owned gold mining company does not have any new mines, even though Antam has quite a number of employees who have reached 1,000 people.

“Because of that we yesterday sent a letter to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (Arifin Tasrif) as a state-owned company. And it has also been coordinated with the head of BPKM, so that the location that has been received by Freeport is given to the State prioritized for BUMN to be included in the gold management,” he explained. So, said Erick, Antam is not just a concrete thing mini trading company but also gold mining companies.

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Just so you know, in 2015 PT Freeport Indonesia agreed to reduce its working area from 212,950 hectares (ha) to 90,360 hectares. The working area, including the Wabu Block, has a potential gold content of 4.3 million ore.

Even though it is located in a remote mountain area and the infrastructure to manage the Wabu Block is inadequate. The government in 2015 has no plans to develop the gold mine.

Therefore, the government chose the option to leave it to the Regional Government (Pemda) to manage it.

Erick said, it is very painful for Antam to have no new gold mine, while the prospect of gold in Indonesia is one of the big supplies and in these conditions the price of gold is very good. “That’s why we have the courage to enter the former Freeport land too,” he said.