Grasberg mine is located near one of the tallest mountains on earth: Puncak Jaya or Carstenz Pyramid–one of the Seven Summits. Copper deposits near the peak were discovered by a geologist on a climbing expedition in 1936. In the image, the mountain peaks are to the left, and Grasberg open pit mine is to the right of center. It looks like an eye here, but from a top-down aspect, it appears more like a bullseye with concentric rings leading downward into a pit; the rings being roads that trucks use to transport ore up from the center of the mine. The ore from Grasberg is primarily copper, with gold and silver being secondary and tertiary products.
As with all mining operations, there are significant ecological considerations, such as heavy metals contaminating runoff, high acidity of the runoff, and excessively turbid water. As a result, native fish have all but disappeared from the rivers.
One of the things that I find amazing about this place is obviously the elevation–there are glaciers nearby–but what I find incredible is how much work it took to build the infrastructure in such a remote place and the logistics to continue operation. How well do gasoline engines run at this altitude? Where do the employees live? How does the ore get to a port or refinery, and how can it all be operated in an environmentally responsible manner?