REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Freeport Indonesia was still considering two options as no plan in the near future to build smelter in Indonesia, Director of Freeport Rozik B Sotjipto said. 

As rhe first option, the company can collaborate with central government in feasibility study of smelter construction. Second, the company will supply concentrate once the smelter built. 

"We put the two options in our internal discussion," Sotjipto said on Wednesday. 

In 2012, Freeport Indonesia sold 915 thousand ounces of gold and 716 million pounds of copper from Grasberg mine, Papua. It accounted 91 percent gold sold by its parent company, Freeport McMoran in the US.

Director General of Mineral and Coal at  Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Thamrin Sihite said that indonesian regulation recquired Freeport to build smelter. However,

Freeport can establish a consortium to build the smelter facility$

"However, for a big company like Freeport, I think it solely can build smelter to gain more benefit in the future," Sihite said. Currently Indonesia has seven smelters and the government is still considering 156 proposals related to smelter building plan. 

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