Mumbai, Sept. 25 -- The mining giant said operations at the massive copper and gold site remain suspended after a deadly mud rush incident that killed two workers, with search efforts still underway for five missing employees. Freeport noted that the suspension will trim its third-quarter consolidated sales by about 4% for copper and 6% for gold compared with July estimates.

The impact will deepen in the fourth quarter, with copper and gold sales from PT Freeport Indonesia expected to be negligible against earlier projections of 445 million pounds of copper and 345,000 ounces of gold. Looking ahead, Freeport estimates 2026 output could fall nearly 35% short of prior forecasts, and full operating rates may not be restored until 2027 under...