✅ 3.2.5.5 RESOURCE SECURITY - Mineral Security

Question 1

Sources of copper

Answer 1

Mostly in igneous, sometimes sedimentary rocks like sandstone in Congo
Ores: malachite, chalcopyrite, bornite
Often at fold mountains
Formed via deep-sea volcanic activity (although deep-sea extraction is too expensive currently)

Question 2

Which countries produce the most copper

Answer 2

Chile, Peru, China, USA, Congo

Question 3

When are copper mines established

Answer 3

When an area has at least 5 kg of copper per tonne of rock (0.5%)

Question 4

Amount of remaining reserves and undiscovered reserves

Answer 4

Estimates of 2.1 billion tonnes of discovered deposits left, 3.5 billion tonnes in undiscovered reserves (potentially much in Africa)

Question 5

Different types of copper reserves

Answer 5

Porphyry, igneous rocks (most common at 45% of reserves and easiest to extract)
Sulphide
Sediment

Question 6

Properties of copper

Answer 6

Conductive
Relatively cheap and common
Doesn’t rust (non-ferrous) and Corrosion resistant
Malleable
Easy to extract - occurs in natural form
Recyclable
Can be combined to make alloys
Biostatic (no bacterial growth)

Question 7

End uses of copper

Answer 7

Wires (although now being replaced more with fibre optics)
Pipes
Surfaces in hospitals and hygiene
Alloys, often harder so used in industry

3rd most consumed industrial metal

Question 8

What region produces the most copper?

Answer 8

The Andean region in South America - 40% of world’s copper
6 of the largest 10 copper mines are are in South America

Question 9

How many tonnes of copper does Chile produce / year

Answer 9

5.6 million tonnes

Question 10

How many kilograms of copper does the average UK house have?

Answer 10

180 kg
Wiring, plumbing

Question 11

What has lead to an increase in copper production?

Answer 11

Developing countries entering the global market
Demand has also increased

Question 12

Who are the main importers and exporters of copper ores

Answer 12

Most exporters are countries producing more than their domestic demand
Most importers are countries with developed smelting industries

Question 13

Who are the main importers and exporters of refined copper

Answer 13

Most exporters are countries with smelting industries like Chile
Most importers are consumers using it in manufacturing like China

Question 14

How recyclable is copper

Answer 14

Copper is 100% recyclable
Recycled copper meets 40% of world’s copper demand

Question 15

Why is copper considered a good indicator of economy health?

Answer 15

Its consumption across a wide range of markets means analysts view copper prices as a reflection of economy health so it has been nicknamed ‘Dr. Copper’

Question 16

What do producers often do when copper prices fall

Answer 16

Leave copper in the ground, hoping the shortage of copper will raise prices

Question 17

How are estimates of undiscovered copper found?

Answer 17

Remote sensing
Rock sampling

Question 18

What geographical factors influence location of exploration and mine development

Answer 18

Remoteness
Access to processing
Extreme environments like deserts, forests or mountains
Although technology has reduced these constraints and mines in remote areas such as the Atacama Desert in Chile have developed

Question 19

Benefits if open-pit mining

Answer 19

Common in emerging economies due to
Technology allows for rapid removal of large amounts of material, including lower-grade ores
Digging equipment is not limited to the size of tunnels underground, so faster production can be achieved
Common in emerging economies due to its inexpensive nature especially if ores are close to surface

However much more soil is removed, overburden

Question 20

Environmental impacts of copper mining

Answer 20

Air Pollution - dust, CO2 - breathing issues
Water Pollution - lots of waste water created during cleaning and processing, discharge can enter drainage basins
Overburden dumps from waste
Increased population pressure in local area - problems of sanitation, access to basic services, increased deforestation etc.

Question 21

Example of water pollution from Copper mining

Answer 21

In Zambia, most wastewater from the mines ends up in the Kafue River. This river is source to about 40% of drinking water for the cities.

Question 22

How many jobs generated by the Lumwana, Zambia open-pit mining scheme

Answer 22

3800

Question 23

How much overburden does Zambia have

Answer 23

32 overburden dumps in Zambia’s mining industry.

Contains approximately 1,899 Million Tonnes of overburden and covers an area of approximately 206,465ha.

Can contaminate rivers, etc.

Question 24

Mitigation measures in Zambia

Answer 24

Mines have been privatised to improve their efficiency and increase re-investment

EIAs for any new mines which have to be approved by the Zambian authorities

Government set up an Environmental Management Facility (EMF) to take up ownership of all environmental liabilities that were not taken by new mine owners (to cost about USD $200m)

Attempts to control waste runoff

Question 25

How much of Zambia’s GDP and exporters are from copper mining?

Answer 25

11% of GDP
70% of exports

Question 26

What is the biggest issue with sustainability of ores?

Answer 26

Their finite nature

Question 27

Methods to increase copper sustainability

Answer 27

Cost-effective exploration
New extraction methods
Recycling
Substitution with alternatives

Question 28

Sustainability: Copper’s impact on climate change

Answer 28

Copper creates 3.5 tons of co2 to produce one ton of copper however, it is so high in efficiency in conductivity that in high-end applications it can reduce output of co2 by 100-7500 tons compared to other metals
Is only 0.2% of carbon emissions

Question 29

Method to clean waste water from copper production

Answer 29

Pass through crushed limestone to immobilise toxic chemicals

Question 30

How much copper is recycled, compared to iron?

Answer 30

40-50% recycled
Not as much as some others like iron - 70-90% recycled
Especially due to its frequent use in alloys which are harder to separate to recycle

Question 31

Example of copper mine water pollution

Answer 31

Mexico
Aug 2014, 40,000 m³ of copper sulphate acid spilt into Sonora river, polluting 60 km stretch of river and causing water shortage or 20,000 people