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Copper price spikes on Freeport’s Grasberg force majeure
MINING.COM·2025-09-24 14:58

Group 1 - Freeport-McMoRan declared force majeure on contracted supplies from its Grasberg Block Cave mine in Indonesia, leading to a significant increase in copper prices, with three-month futures trading above $10,496 per ton, up 2.74% for the day [1] - Following the declaration, Freeport's shares fell by as much as 10.4% in New York, while competitors such as Glencore PLC, Teck Resources, and Antofagasta saw their shares rise by 3%, 5%, and 7.4% respectively [2] - The Grasberg mine, the world's second-largest copper mine, halted production after a tragic accident on September 8, which resulted in the death of two workers and the ongoing search for five others [3] Group 2 - The Grasberg Block Cave ore body accounts for 50% of PT Freeport Indonesia's estimated proven and probable reserves as of December 31, 2024, and approximately 70% of the company's previously forecast copper and gold production through 2029 [4] - Freeport updated its third-quarter guidance, expecting consolidated sales to be about 4% lower for copper and approximately 6% lower for gold compared to previous estimates made in July [5] - In addition to Freeport's challenges, Hudbay Minerals Inc. announced the shutdown of operations at a mill at its Constancia mine site in Peru due to ongoing political protests, indicating broader disruptions in the copper industry [5]