RS Mineral Case Studies

Question 1

Chuquicamata Mine
Chile
Size + Production

Answer 1

Largest Copper Mine in the World
40% of the Worlds Copper is There
Transition to Underground Mining - $4.1Bn Cost but Produce 140,000 Tonnes of Ore/day
366,000 Tonnes of Copper/Year

Question 2

Chuquicamata Mine
Chile
Why is it there?

Answer 2

Linked to tectonic processes and formation of rocks
Porphyry Ore deposits : Linked to subduction zones
Massive sulphide deposits : Linked to volcanic hydrothermal vents on sea floor
Sediment strata bound (sedimentary rocks) underneath layers of sedimentary rock

Question 3

Chuquicamata Mine
Chile
End Uses (don’t need to get all just give some examples)

Answer 3

Electrical Equipment - Wiring
Solar Panels and Wind Farms (Green Mineral)
Mobile Phones
Roofing and Guttering of Buildings
Makes Alloys like Bronze and Brass
Plumbing and Cooking
Coins
etc

Question 4

Demand for Copper
Changing?

Answer 4

Increasing
20 Million tonnes consumed globally/year
Expected it’ll be as much 43 million tonnes by 2035 - green technology
Solar Panels and Wind Power
Electric Vehicles also use 4x more copper than petrol vehicles (130M EV by 2050 - 85kg of copper each)

Question 5

Copper Production
Changing?

Answer 5

Decreasing
Over 200 copper mines expected to run out before 2035
Causing for production to drop from 20 to 12 million tonnes/year - 15 million tonnes less than will be need by 2035

Question 6

Grasberg Mine
Indonesia
Problems

Answer 6

(Second largest mine in the world)
Easy to reach ores have run out
Having to get deposits from Deep Mill Level Zone (deep cave nearby) - Has lowered copper concentration in products

Question 7

Copper Importers and Exporters

Answer 7

China = biggest importer of both ore+refined (43% of all copper ore/32% of refined copper)
Japan = next biggest importer of ore (14%)
USA = next biggest importer of refined (8%)
Chile, Peru and Indonesia biggest exporters

Question 8

Environmental Issues + Sustainability

Answer 8

A lot of water is needed for production process (washing, dampening)
Waste typically put in rivers
Air contamination with dust
Large amounts of energy needed for extraction everyday
Clearing of vegetation for mining access