8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C.  20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  March 2, 2010

FREEPORT-McMoRan COPPER & GOLD INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	1-9916	74-2480931
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

One North Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ	85004-4414
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (602) 366-8100

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

[ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

[ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 8.01.  Other Events.

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. issued a press release dated March 2, 2010, announcing that it has issued a notice to redeem all of its outstanding Senior Floating Rate Notes due 2015 on April 1, 2010 (see Exhibit 99.1).

Item 9.01.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d)  Exhibits.

The Exhibit included as part of this Current Report is listed in the attached Exhibit Index.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

FREEPORT-McMoRan COPPER & GOLD INC.

By: /s/ C. Donald Whitmire, Jr.

----------------------------------------

C. Donald Whitmire, Jr.

Vice President and Controller -

Financial Reporting

(authorized signatory and

Principal Accounting Officer)

Date:  March 2, 2010

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.

Exhibit Index

Exhibit

Number

99.1 Press Release dated March 2, 2010, titled “Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. Announces Redemption of its Senior Floating Rate Notes due 2015.”

EX-99.1

One North Central Avenue  §  Phoenix, AZ  85004	Financial Contacts:		Media Contact:
	Kathleen L. Quirk (602) 366-8016	David P. Joint (504) 582-4203	William L. Collier (504) 582-1750

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. Announces

Redemption of its Senior Floating Rate Notes due 2015

PHOENIX, AZ, March 2, 2010 – Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (NYSE: FCX) announced today that it has issued a notice to redeem all of its outstanding Senior Floating Rate Notes due 2015 (“Notes”) on April 1, 2010.  There is $1 billion in outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Notes.

Holders of record will receive 101 percent of the principal amount together with accrued and unpaid interest from October 1, 2009 to the redemption date.  The Notes bear interest at LIBOR plus 3.25%.  Based on the current forward LIBOR rates through the 2015 maturity of the Notes, the annual interest cost savings over the life of the Notes would average approximately $58 million per annum.  FCX expects to record an approximate $20 million charge to net income in the second quarter of 2010 in connection with the redemption.  The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee, has distributed to the registered note holders written notice of the specific terms of the redemption.

At December 31, 2009, FCX had $6.3 billion in total debt and consolidated cash of $2.7 billion.  During January and February 2010, FCX completed open market purchases of its 8.25% Senior Notes and its 8.375% Senior Notes totaling approximately $270 million.  Following the completion of the redemption of the Notes and including the year-to-date open market purchases, FCX’s total debt would approximate $5.0 billion.

FCX is a leading international mining company with headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. FCX operates large, long-lived, geographically diverse assets with significant proven and probable reserves of copper, gold and molybdenum. FCX has a dynamic portfolio of operating, expansion and growth projects in the copper industry and is the world’s largest producer of molybdenum.

The company’s portfolio of assets includes the Grasberg mining complex, the world’s largest copper and gold mine in terms of recoverable reserves, significant mining operations in the Americas, including the large scale Morenci and Safford minerals districts in North America and the Cerro Verde and El Abra operations in South America, and the Tenke Fungurume minerals district in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Additional information about FCX is available on FCX’s web site at “www.fcx.com.”

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