The government of Indonesia recently disclosed its plans to acquire Rio Tinto's stake in the Grasberg copper mine operated by Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX), potentially solving a drawn-out problem for all three parties. Under a joint venture formed in 1996, global miner Rio has a 40 percent interest in Freeport's Grasberg contract, entitling it to 40 percent of production above specific levels until 2021 and 40 percent of all production after 2022. To meet new Indonesian ownership rules, Phoenix, Arizona-based Freeport agreed in August to divest 51 percent of its Indonesia unit to the government.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan said that Indonesia plans to buy Rio's interest in the mine by 2018.