16. Ore Mineral Security (copper) Flashcards
What is an ore?
A type of rock containing high concentration of minerals, including metals, which can be economically extracted for use in industrial processes.
What kind of metal is copper?
A base metal (it is non-ferrous and does not contain iron so will not rust)
Give 2 facts about copper production.
- Copper is the third most widely used metal in the world
- Copper is totally recyclable with 90% of the available scrap being recycled
Who was the largest producers of Copper until 1980? Why did they stop being the largest producer?
The USA - a landslide at an open cast mine caused a decline in copper exports.
What is the top leading copper producer? How much copper did this country produce in 2019?
- Chile - 28.5% of worldwide production
- 5.60 million tonnes
Describe Peru’s copper production in relation to Chile’s copper production (leading country).
Peru’s copper production was atleast half of Chile’s in 2019 with 2.40 million tonnes produced by Chile
Who is the largest consumer of copper? What percentage of global ore consumption do they account for?
China is the largest consumer and leading copper manufacturer accounting for 42% of global consumption.
How do magmatic deposits form?
- High temperature magma with low viscosity
- As magma crystallisation occurs, ore and non-ore minerals separate into distinct areas
- Crystallisation occurs when denser metals sink to the bottom of the magma chamber under the force of gravity
- Deep underground they cool slowly and allow high temperature metallic minerals like magnetite to crystallise at 1600 degrees celsius
How do magmatic hydrothermal deposits form?
- Magma intrusions cause rocks to lift and become deformed
- Cracks and fissures occur
- They allow hot solutions containing dissolved minerals to escape towards the surface
- The minerals precipitate in a predictable way (according to solubility)
How do massive sulphides desposits form?
- The magmatic processes where sea water mixes with the molten rock and magma
- Historic black smokers are sources of copper
- Active MSD are found at mid-ocean ridges and subduction zones or even around hot springs. These are known as ‘Black smokers’
- During this process minerals are precipitated out of the hydrothermal fluids along the sea bed.
How do sedimentary deposits form?
- Weathering of a copper rich rock, like chalcopyrite, could take place and convert it into a soluble form (e.g. copper sulphate)
- Dissolved copper sulphate is then moved through rock as a solution
- The fluids then move through the permeable rock and then eventually solidify (precipitation)
How important is copper in our lives?
- 12 x more copper is required in renewable energy production than fossil fuels (development of the green economy)
- 40kg of copper ore found in electrical wire in the home.
What issues affect the geography and economics of mineral ores?
- Geopolitics (Chile able to control prices and dictate the market in terms of price volatility)
- Finite nature (only found in veins and cavities for basic igneous rocks)
- Globalisation has caused more widespread consumptions
What is the cut off ore grade?
0.5% to establish a proven reserve
What is copper ore benefication?
The process of separating copper bearing minerals from waste rock.
What are the 5 steps of copper production?
- Breaking the ground through the blasting, crushing and grinding of rock
- Leaching - copper ore is mixed with water and chemicals to separate the copper from the waste
- Filtration - concentrates the mineral
- Smelting - copper is melted and cast as anodes
- Refining - shaped into rods and wire
What is the most common sourcce of copper? What is the copper content of this mineral ore?
Chalcopyrite - 34.6%
How many undiscovered reserves are estimated?
3.5 billion tonnes of
