JAKARTA, Jan 3 (Reuters) - PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI)

is in discussions with the government about being able to

continue copper concentrate exports until its new Manyar smelter

returns to full operations, a spokesperson for the miner said on

Friday.

The company was allowed to export copper concentrate until

the end of December, as its new smelter was then expected to

process its mine output domestically.

However, the Manyar smelter is currently shut down after a

fire in October.

Repairs are ongoing and a ramp-up to operations is now

expected to begin around mid-year, spokesperson Katri Krisnati

said.

"This will certainly have an impact on our concentrate

storage capacity both at the Amamapare port and at the PTFI

smelter, which will be full going forward," she told Reuters.

"We are currently discussing with the government to sell

concentrate that should be refined at the PTFI smelter abroad

until the smelter is fully operational," she added.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia told

reporters the government is considering PTFI's request and that

a decision will be taken in a meeting with President Prabowo

Subianto.

Local media reported that PTFI CEO Tony Wenas met with

officials of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs on

Friday.

News site Kontan reported that ministry official Elen

Setiadi said they discussed plans to quickly repair the smelter.