Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia confirmed that operations at PT Freeport Indonesia’s (PTFI) Grasberg mine remain suspended following a fatal landslide at its Grasberg Block Cave (GBC) underground site last month.

The incident, which occurred on September 8, 2025, resulted in the death of seven workers and caused approximately 800,000 tons of mud to flood the mine’s underground tunnels.

“(Operations resuming) will definitely wait until the audit results are out,” Bahlil told reporters at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry on Friday, October 10, 2025.

He said the government is conducting a comprehensive audit of PTFI’s underground mining operations to determine the cause of the collapse before allowing production to restart.

“No production activities are being carried out at the moment. We’re still auditing to find out what caused the landslide,” Bahlil added.

The minister emphasized that the audit will not be rushed and will also serve as the basis for the government’s next steps, including recommendations for improvements or potential sanctions.

“We cannot impose penalties without clear evidence. We will first identify the problems and their causes. Only then can we issue recommendations, whether in the form of improvements or other measures,” he said.

PTFI’s parent company, Freeport-McMoRan (FCX), said the investigation into the incident is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The company noted that this was the first such landslide in the history of Freeport’s operations in Indonesia.

“The investigation team, which includes external experts, will analyze the root causes and provide recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future. PTFI expects the investigation to conclude by late 2025,” FCX said in a statement on September 26, 2025.

The company added that PTFI is also working closely with the Indonesian government, which is conducting its own review of the disaster. In parallel, PTFI is assessing the extent of the damage caused by the landslide.

“Freeport extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims. We continue to work intensively in the search for five other missing workers − this remains our top priority,” the company said.