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):  September  18, 1996


                         FREEPORT-McMoRan COPPER & GOLD INC.


                 Delaware               1-9916            74-2480931
             (State or other        (Commission        (IRS Employer
             jurisdiction of        File Number)       Identification
             incorporation or                              Number)
             organization)


                                 1615 Poydras Street
                            New Orleans, Louisiana  70112

    Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (504) 582-4000


          Item 5.   Other Events.

          The following news release was issued by Freeport-McMoRan Copper
          & Gold Inc. on September 18, 1996:


                           FREEPORT-McMoRan COPPER & GOLD
            . INITIATES DELINEATION DRILLING OF THE KUCING LIAR PROSPECT
                          . UPDATES EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES


          NEW ORLEANS, LA.,  September 18, 1996 -- Freeport-McMoRan  Copper
          & Gold Inc. (FCX) announced today that drilling activities at the
          Kucing Liar prospect  within the "Golden  Triangle" area at  P.T.
          Freeport Indonesia Company's  (PT-FI) Ertsberg-Grasberg  District
          have moved from the exploration phase to the delineation phase.  
          Early results  confirm  the continuity  of  extensive  skarn-type
          copper/gold mineralization between drill holes.
               Delineation  drilling  of  the  Kucing  Liar  mineralization
          utilizing 6 diamond drill rigs is underway from underground sites
          in  the  Amole  tunnel  and  the  new  northwest-trending  Kucing
          Liar/Lembah Tembaga tunnel.   Underground drill  sites are 50  to
          135 meters apart allowing multiple holes,  known as fans,  to  be
          drilled from each site across a portion of the 1.5 kilometer long
          Kucing Liar mineralized zone which, based on current information,
          could represent a 250 million  metric ton geological resource  at
          an average grade of greater than 2 percent copper equivalent.  To
          date, 15 delineation holes have been, or are being, drilled  over
          a 500 meter interval, 1/3 of the 1.5 kilometer mineralized  zone.
           Assay results  from  8  holes  have  been  received  and  visual
          estimates from all 15 holes suggest continuity between holes  and
          fans.  Following are the assay results of the 8 holes.

               Hole     Interval    %Cu     g/tAu     %Cu equiv
               ------   --------   ----     -----     ---------
               KL16-1    401.1m    2.00      1.90       3.24(in progress)
               KL18-1    266.2m    1.02      1.06       1.71
                   -2    264.0m    1.02      1.41       1.94
                   -3    122.5m    1.11      1.55       2.12
                   -6     45.3m    0.83      0.84       1.38
               KL20-1    176.0m    0.93      1.02       1.59
               KL23-1     48.0m    1.79      1.12       2.52
               KL23-2     67.0m    1.01      1.14       1.75(in progress)

               The Kucing Liar  cross-section from  the KL18  drill fan  is
          characteristic of the extent and continuity of the mineralization
          with apparent thicknesses of 50 to 250 meters which indicates the
          applicability of low-cost block caving underground mining.   This
          high grade underground mineralization, in close proximity to  the
          mill, could have a  significant positive impact  on the grade  of
          the ore feed  to PT-FI's "fourth  concentrator mill expansion".  
          The optimum  rate  of the  expansion  is being  assessed  but  is
          expected to be at least 190,000 to 200,000 metric tons of ore per
          day.  Permitting for this expansion is currently underway with  a
          start-up date anticipated during the second half of 1998.
               This  delineation  drilling  was  initiated  following   the
          successful exploration of a one square kilometer area by drilling
          21 widely  spaced  drill  holes on  the  southeast  side  of  the
          prolific Grasberg copper/gold  porphyry deposit.   This  drilling
          resulted  in  the  discovery  of  significant  copper/gold  skarn
          mineralization,  called  the  Kucing  Liar  prospect,  which  was
          intersected within the Waripi and Kembelangan formations  between
          the 2500  to  3000  meter elevations,  representing  a  potential
          mantle of  copper  and  gold around  the  base  of  the  Grasberg
          deposit.  A northwest-southeast  trending fault, the Idenberg  #1
          fault, bounds this mantle of copper  on the south and appears  to
          contain copper/gold mineralization  over a distance  of at  least
          1.5 kilometers.
               Exploration drilling  activities  continue  to  explore  the
          extent of the Kucing Liar style  mineralization.  Once the  Amole
          tunnel has  progressed to  the center  of the  Grasberg  orebody,
          exploration drilling will be  conducted from underground to  test
          the western and northern flanks of  the Grasberg for Kucing  Liar
          style mineralization as well as to  test the deep Grasberg  below
          the presently outlined 600+ million metric ton block-cave reserve
          that was announced in December 1995.
               Geological  mapping,  sampling,  geophysical  surveying  and
          drilling continued at the Wabu prospect as well as other  targets
          within PT FI's Block  B area.   Geologic work including  drilling
          and geophysical surveying continued at Etna Bay in Block I and in
          Block II.   Reconnaissance mapping and  sampling is scheduled  to
          take place in Block III during the 4th quarter of 1996.
               FCX is engaged  in the  exploration, mining  and milling  of
          copper, gold  and  silver  in  Irian  Jaya,  Indonesia,  and  the
          smelting and refining of copper concentrates in Spain.




                                      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,  thereunto   duly
          authorized.

                                        FREEPORT-McMoRan COPPER & GOLD INC.



                                        By:   /s/ Michael A. Weaver
                                             ------------------------------
                                              Michael A. Weaver
                                              Controller-Financial Reporting
                                              (authorized signatory and
                                              Principal  Accounting Officer)

          Date:  September 27, 1996
[{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "secsgml_size_bytes": 7367}]
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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):  September  18, 1996

                         FREEPORT-McMoRan COPPER & GOLD INC.

                 Delaware               1-9916            74-2480931
             (State or other        (Commission        (IRS Employer
             jurisdiction of        File Number)       Identification
             incorporation or                              Number)
             organization)

                                 1615 Poydras Street
                            New Orleans, Louisiana  70112

    Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (504) 582-4000

          Item 5.   Other Events.

          The following news release was issued by Freeport-McMoRan Copper
          & Gold Inc. on September 18, 1996:

                           FREEPORT-McMoRan COPPER & GOLD
            . INITIATES DELINEATION DRILLING OF THE KUCING LIAR PROSPECT
                          . UPDATES EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES

          NEW ORLEANS, LA.,  September 18, 1996 -- Freeport-McMoRan  Copper
          & Gold Inc. (FCX) announced today that drilling activities at the
          Kucing Liar prospect  within the "Golden  Triangle" area at  P.T.
          Freeport Indonesia Company's  (PT-FI) Ertsberg-Grasberg  District
          have moved from the exploration phase to the delineation phase.  
          Early results  confirm  the continuity  of  extensive  skarn-type
          copper/gold mineralization between drill holes.
               Delineation  drilling  of  the  Kucing  Liar  mineralization
          utilizing 6 diamond drill rigs is underway from underground sites
          in  the  Amole  tunnel  and  the  new  northwest-trending  Kucing
          Liar/Lembah Tembaga tunnel.   Underground drill  sites are 50  to
          135 meters apart allowing multiple holes,  known as fans,  to  be
          drilled from each site across a portion of the 1.5 kilometer long
          Kucing Liar mineralized zone which, based on current information,
          could represent a 250 million  metric ton geological resource  at
          an average grade of greater than 2 percent copper equivalent.  To
          date, 15 delineation holes have been, or are being, drilled  over
          a 500 meter interval, 1/3 of the 1.5 kilometer mineralized  zone.
           Assay results  from  8  holes  have  been  received  and  visual
          estimates from all 15 holes suggest continuity between holes  and
          fans.  Following are the assay results of the 8 holes.

               Hole     Interval    %Cu     g/tAu     %Cu equiv
               ------   --------   ----     -----     ---------
               KL16-1    401.1m    2.00      1.90       3.24(in progress)
               KL18-1    266.2m    1.02      1.06       1.71
                   -2    264.0m    1.02      1.41       1.94
                   -3    122.5m    1.11      1.55       2.12
                   -6     45.3m    0.83      0.84       1.38
               KL20-1    176.0m    0.93      1.02       1.59
               KL23-1     48.0m    1.79      1.12       2.52
               KL23-2     67.0m    1.01      1.14       1.75(in progress)

               The Kucing Liar  cross-section from  the KL18  drill fan  is
          characteristic of the extent and continuity of the mineralization
          with apparent thicknesses of 50 to 250 meters which indicates the
          applicability of low-cost block caving underground mining.   This
          high grade underground mineralization, in close proximity to  the
          mill, could have a  significant positive impact  on the grade  of
          the ore feed  to PT-FI's "fourth  concentrator mill expansion".  
          The optimum  rate  of the  expansion  is being  assessed  but  is
          expected to be at least 190,000 to 200,000 metric tons of ore per
          day.  Permitting for this expansion is currently underway with  a
          start-up date anticipated during the second half of 1998.
               This  delineation  drilling  was  initiated  following   the
          successful exploration of a one square kilometer area by drilling
          21 widely  spaced  drill  holes on  the  southeast  side  of  the
          prolific Grasberg copper/gold  porphyry deposit.   This  drilling
          resulted  in  the  discovery  of  significant  copper/gold  skarn
          mineralization,  called  the  Kucing  Liar  prospect,  which  was
          intersected within the Waripi and Kembelangan formations  between
          the 2500  to  3000  meter elevations,  representing  a  potential
          mantle of  copper  and  gold around  the  base  of  the  Grasberg
          deposit.  A northwest-southeast  trending fault, the Idenberg  #1
          fault, bounds this mantle of copper  on the south and appears  to
          contain copper/gold mineralization  over a distance  of at  least
          1.5 kilometers.
               Exploration drilling  activities  continue  to  explore  the
          extent of the Kucing Liar style  mineralization.  Once the  Amole
          tunnel has  progressed to  the center  of the  Grasberg  orebody,
          exploration drilling will be  conducted from underground to  test
          the western and northern flanks of  the Grasberg for Kucing  Liar
          style mineralization as well as to  test the deep Grasberg  below
          the presently outlined 600+ million metric ton block-cave reserve
          that was announced in December 1995.
               Geological  mapping,  sampling,  geophysical  surveying  and
          drilling continued at the Wabu prospect as well as other  targets
          within PT FI's Block  B area.   Geologic work including  drilling
          and geophysical surveying continued at Etna Bay in Block I and in
          Block II.   Reconnaissance mapping and  sampling is scheduled  to
          take place in Block III during the 4th quarter of 1996.
               FCX is engaged  in the  exploration, mining  and milling  of
          copper, gold  and  silver  in  Irian  Jaya,  Indonesia,  and  the
          smelting and refining of copper concentrates in Spain.

                                      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,  thereunto   duly
          authorized.

                                        FREEPORT-McMoRan COPPER & GOLD INC.

                                        By:   /s/ Michael A. Weaver
                                             ------------------------------
                                              Michael A. Weaver
                                              Controller-Financial Reporting
                                              (authorized signatory and
                                              Principal  Accounting Officer)

          Date:  September 27, 1996