Jakarta - Had to stop production due to closed access and production facilities were sabotaged, gold and copper mine owned by PT Freeport Indonesia today began back in operation.

This was revealed by Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Darwin Zahedy Saleh. "Production has been running back and the treatment has been running," he said, Tuesday, October 18, 2011. He explained that the activities of production has been running 50 percent and the treatment has been accomplished 100 percent.

Total seeds produced at this time reached the range of 207 thousand tons per day. While concentrates reached 540 thousand tons. Under normal conditions, the company is usually able to produce 220-230 thousand tons of ore per day from the open pit, Grassberg, and underground, Deep Ore Zone.

Freeport is one of vital national assets. In the rioting and clashes that occurred at the mine site, the authority of the Ministry of Energy is to ensure no environmental damage caused by disruption of production activities.

He gave an example, pumping water in the basin mine, for example, should continue to be done. "Because if not, it can hit a wall of water basins and may lead to dangerous landslides," he explained.

As a realization of responsibility, the Ministry has sent inspectors to the location of the mine to ensure sustainability of production and control of environmental care Freeport. Problem security and labor, each of which will be completed by competent authorities, namely the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security and the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration. "The principal tasks and functions are clear," he said.

Pipe which serves to channel the concentrate, he says, has also reconnected. Darwin claimed to understand the demands of the workforce to Freeport to improve their welfare. But he expects the process of negotiating the settlement of labor problems can still take place and reach an agreement without any acts of vandalism of production facilities. "We expect and optimistic conditions could be better," he said.