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<P style="margin:0pt; font-family:Arial" align=center>SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; font-family:Arial" align=center>Washington, D.C. &nbsp;20549</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; font-family:Arial" align=center>FORM 8-K</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; font-family:Arial" align=center>CURRENT REPORT</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; font-family:Arial" align=center>Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; font-family:Arial" align=center>Securities Exchange Act of 1934</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; font-family:Arial" align=center>Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): &nbsp;March 22, 2004</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; font-family:Arial" align=center>FREEPORT-McMoRan COPPER &amp; GOLD INC.</P>
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<P style="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:-12pt; text-indent:36pt; font-family:Arial">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Delaware &nbsp;&nbsp;</P>
<P style="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:-12pt; text-indent:216pt; font-family:Arial">&nbsp;&nbsp;1-9916 </P>
<P style="margin:0pt; text-indent:288pt; font-family:Arial">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;74-2480931</P>
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<P style="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:-12pt; text-indent:36pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(State or other</P>
<P style="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:-12pt; text-indent:144pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</P>
<P style="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:-12pt; text-indent:216pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>(Commission</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; text-indent:324pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>(IRS Employer </P>
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<P style="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:-12pt; text-indent:216pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>&nbsp;&nbsp;File Number) </P>
<P style="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:-12pt; text-indent:288pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</P>
<P style="margin:0pt; text-indent:324pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>&nbsp;Identification</P>
<P style="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:-12pt; text-indent:36pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;incorporation or</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; text-indent:324pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Number)</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; font-family:Arial" align=center>1615 Poydras Street</P>
<P style="margin:0pt; font-family:Arial" align=center>New Orleans, Louisiana &nbsp;70112</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; font-family:Arial" align=center>Registrant's telephone number, including area code: &nbsp;(504) 582-4000</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; padding-left:72pt; text-indent:-72pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>Item 5. &nbsp;<U>Other Events and Regulation FD Disclosure.</U></P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; text-indent:36pt; font-family:Arial">Filed as Exhibit 10.1 is the stock purchase agreement dated March 22, 2004, with respect to our acquisition of 23,931,100 FCX class B common shares owned by a subsidiary of Rio Tinto plc.</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; font-family:Arial" align=center>SIGNATURE</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; text-indent:36pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>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.</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; text-indent:216pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>FREEPORT-McMoRan COPPER &amp; GOLD INC.</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; text-indent:216pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>By: /s/ C. Donald Whitmire, Jr.</P>
<P style="margin:0pt; text-indent:216pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;----------------------------------------</P>
<P style="margin:0pt; text-indent:216pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;C. Donald Whitmire, Jr.</P>
<P style="margin:0pt; text-indent:216pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vice President and Controller - </P>
<P style="margin:0pt; text-indent:216pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Financial Reporting</P>
<P style="margin:0pt; text-indent:216pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(authorized signatory and</P>
<P style="margin:0pt; text-indent:216pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Principal Accounting Officer)</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; font-family:Arial" align=justify>Date: &nbsp;March 22, 2004</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; font-family:Arial" align=center>Freeport-McMoRan Copper &amp; Gold Inc.</P>
<P style="margin:0pt; font-family:Arial" align=center>Exhibit Index</P>
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<P style="margin:0pt; font-family:Arial">Exhibit </P>
<P style="margin:0pt; font-family:Arial"><U>Number</U></P>
<P style="margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:-12pt; padding-left:27pt; text-indent:-27pt; font-family:Arial">10.1</P>
<P style="margin:0pt; padding-left:27pt; font-family:Arial">Stock Purchase Agreement dated as of March 22, 2004, by and between Freeport-McMoRan Copper &amp; Gold Inc. and Rio Tinto plc (&#147;Rio Tinto&#148;) and Rio Tinto International Holdings Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto. </P>
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
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 22, 2004
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 and Regulation FD Disclosure.
Filed as Exhibit 10.1 is the stock purchase agreement dated March 22, 2004, with respect to our acquisition of 23,931,100 FCX class B common shares owned by a subsidiary of Rio Tinto plc.
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/ C. Donald Whitmire, Jr.
----------------------------------------
C. Donald Whitmire, Jr.
Vice President and Controller -
Financial Reporting
(authorized signatory and
Principal Accounting Officer)
Date:  March 22, 2004
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.
Exhibit Index
Exhibit
Number
10.1
Stock Purchase Agreement dated as of March 22, 2004, by and between Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. and Rio Tinto plc ("Rio Tinto") and Rio Tinto International Holdings Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto.