Indonesia's Department of Energy and Mineral Resources says production at PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (NNT)-more commonly known as the Batu Hijau gold mine-will decline by 7% over the next five years. Bambang Setiawan, director general of mineral, coal and geothermal within the department, said, "The output correction is not significant. The state revenue from NNT will not necessarily significantly decrease because it will also be influenced by the price of copper." NNT spokesman Rubi W. Purnomo told the Jakarta Post, "We estimate the production output target will be corrected by between 1.5 and 2% per year in four to five years." The company's parent, Newmont Mining, announced on September 22nd that operations at the Batu Hijau mine had been suspended because of a geotechnical failure in the west wall of the mine. Newmont originally set production target of 355 million pounds of copper and 486,000 ounces of gold this year at Batu Hijau. The company is currently processing stockpiled lower-grade ore at the mine. Bambang said it will take five months for Batu Hijau, Indonesia's second largest copper mine, to get back to normal. He added, "NNT must design the mine and obtain a new permit based on an environmental impact analysis." Mine production is expected to resume in February.

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