Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM) said Friday that the deadline for the sale of a 14% stake in its Indonesian unit has been delayed to Nov. 23 at the request of the central government after state nickel miner PT Aneka Tambang (ANTM.JK) earlier in the week backed out of a consortium buying the stake.

An agreement on the sale of the stake had previously been scheduled by today.

Newmont and its minority partner Sumitomo Corp. (8053.TO) are selling the stake in PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara as part of a requirement that they divest 51% of the company in stages to local buyers by 2010.

Antam had been mandated to represent the central government in a consortium that is buying the 14% stake and a separate 10% stake in PTNNT.

However, it pulled out of the deal earlier this week after failing to reach agreement on the eventual breakdown of ownership of the PTNNT shares with the other consortium members, which consist of local governments in the areas where PTNNT's operations are located as well as a financial company backed by the Bakrie business group.

-By Deden Sudrajat and Reuben Carder, Dow Jones Newswires; 62 21 3983 1277; Reuben.Carder@dowjones.com