Freeport-McMoRan Continues Strengthening Its Position

 

PHOENIX, AZ - Richard C. Adkerson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Freeport McMoRan, said, "We are continuing to focus on executing our operating plans, and on building long-term values from our portfolio of low-cost, long-lived reserves and resources .” FCX has significant undeveloped reserves and resources in North America and a portfolio of long-term development projects. In the near term, FCX is deferring development of new projects as a result of current market conditions. Future investments will be undertaken based on the results of economic and technical feasibility studies, and market conditions.

During 2015, FCX's revised plans for its North America copper mines to incorporate reductions in mining rates to reduce operating and capital costs. In addition, FCX curtailed operations at the Miami and Tyrone mines and is operating its Sierrita mine at reduced rates. The revised plans at each of the operations incorporate the impacts of lower energy, acid and other consumables, reduced labor costs and a significant reduction in capital spending plans. These operating plans continue to be reviewed and additional adjustments will be made as market conditions warrant.

North America's consolidated copper sales volumes totaling 464 million pounds in second-quarter, and estimated to approximate 1.8 billion pounds for the year 2016. FCX operates seven open-pit copper mines in North America - Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita and Miami in Arizona, and Chino and Tyrone in New Mexico. In addition to copper, molybdenum concentrate and silver are also produced by certain of FCX's North America copper mines. 

FCX operates two copper mines in South America - Cerro Verde in Peru (in which FCX owns a 53.56 percent interest) and El Abra in Chile (in which FCX owns a 51 percent interest). These operations are consolidated in FCX's financial statements. In addition to copper, the Cerro Verde mine produces molybdenum concentrate and silver. FCX continues to evaluate a potential large-scale milling operation at El Abra to process additional sulfide material and to achieve higher recoveries. Exploration results in recent years at El Abra indicate a significant sulfide resource, which could potentially support a major mill project. Future investments will depend on technical studies, economic factors and global copper market conditions.

Through its 90.64 percent owned and consolidated subsidiary PT Freeport Indonesia (PT-FI), FCX's assets include one of the world's largest copper and gold deposits at the Grasberg minerals district in Papua, Indonesia. PT-FI operates a proportionately consolidated joint venture, which produces copper concentrates that contain significant quantities of gold and silver. PT-FI's revised operating plans incorporate improved operational efficiencies, reductions in input costs, supplies and contractor costs, foreign exchange impacts and an approximate 20 percent deferral of capital expenditures that had been planned for 2016. PT-FI has several projects in progress in the Grasberg minerals district related to the development of its large-scale, long-lived, high-grade underground ore bodies. In aggregate, these underground ore bodies are expected to produce large-scale quantities of copper and gold following the transition from the Grasberg open pit, currently anticipated to occur in early 2018. The company continues to strengthen its financial position. The FCX global workforce is comprised of employees and contractors, includes approximately 75,000 members.