Mining Intelligence and News
Indonesia

Deep Mill Level Zone (DMLZ) Mine

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Gold
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Block caving
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SnapshotThe Deep Mill Level Zone (DMLZ) mine is a part of Grasberg minerals district.

Hydraulic fracturing operations have been effective in managing rock stresses and pre-conditioning the cave following mining-induced seismic activity experienced from time to time. As of December 31, 2023, the DMLZ underground mine had 132 open drawbells.
Related AssetGrasberg Complex

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Freeport-McMoRan Inc. 48.76 % Indirect
PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Persero) 51.24 % Indirect
PT Freeport Indonesia (operator) 100 % Direct
PT Freeport Indonesia (PT-FI) is a limited liability company organized under the laws of the Republic of Indonesia. PT-FI operates the mines in the Grasberg minerals district.

Freeport-McMoRan have a 48.76 percent share ownership in PT-FI and the remaining 51.24 percent share ownership is held by PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (an Indonesian state-owned enterprise).

Deposit type

  • Skarn
  • Porphyry

Summary:

The Grasberg minerals district is situated on the crest of the Sudirman Mountain Range at elevations over 2,500 meters with the highest peak, Puncak Jaya at 4,884 meters. Ore deposits in the Grasberg minerals district have economic copper, gold, and silver mineralization in porphyries and skarns. The primary sulfide mineralization is chalcopyrite, with lesser bornite, chalcocite, and covellite. Gold concentrations usually occur as inclusions within the copper sulfide minerals although in some parts of deposits gold can also be strongly associated with pyrite.

There are five major ore bodies all within the center of the Grasberg minerals district:
• Grasberg Intrusive Complex (GIC) includes the GBC and the depleted GRS_OP.
• EESS includes DMLZ and depleted GBT, IOZ, DOZ block caves.
• BG.
• KL (development stage mineral reserve).
• Dom (classified as mineral resource).

The DMLZ ore body lies below the Deep Ore Zone (DOZ) underground mine at the 2,590-meter elevation and represents the downward continuation of mineralization in the Ertsberg East Skarn system and neighboring Ertsberg porphyry.

The igneous-hosted ore bodies (the Grasberg Block Cave and portions of the DMLZ) occur as vein stockworks and disseminations of copper sulfides, dominated by chalcopyrite and, to a lesser extent, bornite. The sedimentary-rock hosted ore bodies (portions of the DMLZ and Kucing Liar and all of the Big Gossan) occur as “magnetite-rich, calcium/magnesian skarn” replacements, whose location and orientation are strongly influenced by major faults and by the chemistry of the carbonate rocks along the margins of the intrusions.

The copper mineralization in these skarn deposits is dominated by chalcopyrite, but higher bornite concentrations are common. Moreover, gold occurs in significant concentrations in all of the district’s ore bodies, though rarely visible to the naked eye. These gold concentrations usually occur as inclusions within the copper sulfide minerals, though, in some deposits, these concentrations can also be strongly associated with pyrite.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

Combined production numbers are reported under Grasberg Complex

Operational metrics

Metrics202320222021202020192018201720162015
Daily ore mining rate  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Daily milling rate  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe9,800 t3,200 t3,200 t4,400 t2,900 t

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

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