BEIJING/LONDON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Freeport McMoRan ( FCX )

is expected to resume shipments of copper concentrate

from Indonesia this month under a new export licence after the

previous one lapsed in December, according to two sources with

knowledge of the matter.

Indonesia has restricted raw material exports to pressure

companies to refine minerals locally and add value to its

exports. Freeport has local refining capacity, but is seeking to

keep exporting concentrate due to a fire last October at its

Manyar smelterin East Java.

The miner will start loading cargoes destined for China on

Friday in anticipation of receiving an export licence by month

end, according to one source with direct knowledge of the

matter.

A shipment of copper concentrate from the company's mine at

Grasberg, the world's second largest active copper mine, is

expected to depart by late February, a second source said.

"Storage is becoming a big problem. We need to start

shifting it," the first source said.

Indonesia's trade ministry said last week it would support

Freeport resuming copper concentrate exports.

PT Freeport Indonesia did not respond to questions about the

shipments sent via text. A spokesperson said separately they

expected the government would accommodate a plan to resume

exports.

Indonesia's mining ministry did not respond to questions

about the shipments from Reuters sent via text message.

Freeport presold cargoes of copper concentrate in January

with a contingent claim that the contracts will take effect only

if they successfully renew their export licence, said a third

source with direct knowledge of the matter.

Should exports resume, it will relieve, although not

reverse, a shortage of copper concentrate that has hit the

profits of smelters.

Treatment charges - fees paid by miners to smelters for

converting raw materials into metal - stood at a negative $12.5

a ton on February 7, the lowest level yet recorded in

information provider Fastmarkets' index tracing data back to

2013.