Denition, mineralogy and

deposits
Denition and characteristics
Copper is a non-ferrous base metal and its average
concentration in the earths crust is about 50 ppm (parts
per million). The average minimum exploitable grade for a
copper deposit is 0.4% which equates to a concentration
factor of around 80 based on average crustal abundance.
Copper occurs naturally in all plants and animals, as it is
an essential element for all known living organisms.
It is one of the
transition metals in
the periodic table
which means it can
form compounds,
such as chalcopyrite
the main copper
ore (CuFeS
2
), and
copper ions (Cu
+
or
Cu
2+
) in solution.
Copper metal has a
characteristic reddish
brown colour, with
a metallic lustre
on fresh surfaces.
However, it quickly
oxidises in air, a feature of all base-metals. Copper is
relatively soft (2.53.0 on Mohs scale of hardness). Other
physical properties are summarised in Table 1.
Copper
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Figure 1 Native copper.
June 2007
Symbol Cu
Atomic number 29
Atomic weight 63.546
Density at 293 K 8960 kg/m
-3
Melting point 1083 C
Boiling point 2567 C
Specic heat
capacity at 293 K
386 J/kg
Electrical
conductivity
100
% (International
Annealed Copper
Standard)
Electrical
conductivity at
298 K
5.98x10
7
Ohm
-1
m
-1
Electrical
resistivity
1.673 x 10
-8
Ohm m

Table 1 Properties of copper.
This commodity prole provides an overview of
copper, with up-to-data information on world
production, trade and prices. Emphasis is placed
on the British perspective. It is one of a series on
important mineral commodities intended to inform a
non-specialist audience.
Available from www.mineralsuk.com.
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Unless otherwise stated, copyright of materials
contained in this report are vested in NERC.
BGS NERC 2007. All rights reserved.
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Mineralogy
Copper combines with a number of elements and more
than 150 copper minerals have been identied, although
only a small number of these are of economic importance
(Table 2). Copper minerals can be divided into three
groups. Primary or hypogene
1
minerals related to hy-
drothermal
2
processes include bornite, chalcopyrite and
enargite.
A second group are the copper oxides, typically formed
from weathering of copper sulphides, that include cuprite,
malachite, chrysocolla and covellite. The third group are
secondary sulphides, such as chalcocite and covellite,
formed from copper leached from near-surface sulphides.
Disseminated copper sulphide deposits dominate global
copper production. Estimates suggest at least 90% of
copper is derived from sulphide deposits. Of the sulphide
minerals, chalcopyrite is by far the most important
accounting for approximately half of all copper production
(Figure 2).
Deposits
Copper deposits are found worldwide in a variety of
geological environments. Hydrothermal deposits are
most signicant on a global scale, although magmatic
3

and supergene
4
deposits are locally important (Table 3).
Numerous other types of mineral deposits contain copper
in variable amounts, however, these are of limited
economic importance.
2 www.mineralsuk.com

Figure 2 Chalcopyrite, the primary ore of copper.
1
Hypogene: describes minerals formed within the earth by ascending uids.
2
Hydrothermal: hot uids.
3
Magmatic: related to magma, molten rock and uid originating deep within or below the Earths crust.
4
Supergene: describes minerals formed within the Earth from descending uids, such as percolating rainwater causing leaching.
Mineral name
Chemical
formula
Max. Cu content
(wt%)
Native copper Cu 100.0
Chalcocite Cu
2
S 79.9
Cuprite Cu
2
O 88.8
Covellite CuS 66.4
Bornite Cu
5
FeS
4
63.3
Malachite Cu
2
CO
3
(OH)
2
57.5
Azurite 2CuCO
3
.Cu(OH)
2
55.3
Antlerite Cu
3
SO
4
(OH)
4
53.7
Enargite Cu
3
AsS
4
49.0
Chrysocolla CuSiO
3
.2H
2
O 36.2
Chalcopyrite CuFeS
2
34.6

Table 2 Common copper minerals found in economic
deposits.
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5
Stockwork: network of many cross-cutting veins.
6
Disseminated: small, ne-grained particles of ore mineral dispersed through a rock.
7
Intrusion: a body of igneous rock emplaced into pre-existing rocks.
8
Stratabound: an ore deposit that is conned to a single sedimentary bed or horizon.
9
Sedimentary: rocks formed from material derived from other rocks by weathering.
10
Volcanic: relating to volcanoes.
11
Mac: dark coloured rocks containing iron- and magnesium-bearing minerals e.g. olivine.
12
Ultramac: dark coloured rocks containing almost entirely iron and magnesium-bearing minerals and virtually no felsic
minerals such as quartz or feldspar.
13
Sedimentary basin: a geologically depressed area containing sedimentary rocks.
14
Breccia: a rock that has been mechanically, hydraulically or pneumatically broken into angular fragments.
Deposit type Synonyms Description Examples
Porphyry Large, relatively low-
grade stockwork
5
to
disseminated
6
deposits
related to intrusions
7
Chuquicamata and La Escondida, Chile;
Bingham Canyon, USA; Grasberg,
Indonesia
Sediment-hosted Shale-hosted copper,
stratiform copper,
Kupferschiefer-type,
Central African type
Stratabound
8

disseminations of copper
minerals occurring in a
range of sedimentary
9

rocks
Nchanga, Zambia; Lubin, Poland; White
Pine, USA
Red-bed Sandstone-hosted,
continental red-bed,
basaltic copper, volcanic-
hosted copper, copper
mantos
Copper mineralisation
occurring in oxidised zones
in sedimentary (s) and
volcanic
10
(v) rocks
Dzhezkazgan (s), Kazakhstan;
Mantos Blancos (v), Chile
Volcanogenic massive
sulphide (VMS)
Volcanic-associated,
volcano-sedimentary-
hosted massive sulphide
deposits
Mineralisation hosted
by submarine volcano-
sedimentary sequences
Bathurst and Kidd Creek, Canada;
Rio Tinto, Spain
Magmatic sulphide
deposits
Sulphide concentrations
associated with a variety
of mac
11
and ultramac
12

magmatic rocks
Sudbury and Voiseys Bay, Canada;
Norilsk-Talnakh, Russia; Kambalda,
Australia
Sedimentary exhalative
(SEDEX)
Bodies of polymetallic
sulphides deposited from
hydrothermal uids vented
into sedimentary
basins
13
with no obvious
volcanic source
Broken Hill and McArthur River,
Australia; Red Dog, Alaska
Epithermal Veins, stockworks and
breccias
14
associated with
high-level or near surface
volcanic-related low-
temperature hydrothermal
systems
El Indio, Chile; Lepanto, Philippines;
Monywa, Burma
Copper skarns Contact metasomatic
copper deposits
Mineralisation formed
by chemical alteration
associated with intrusions
into carbonate rocks
Ok Tedi, Papua New Guinea; Copper
Canyon, USA; Rosita, Nicaragua
Vein-style deposits Polymetallic veins Mineralised structures
often developed along
fractures varying from
centimetres up to tens of
metres wide from a variety
of sources
El Indio, Chile; Copper Hills, Australia;
Butte, USA
Supergene In-situ natural secondary
enrichment of primary
mineralisation
Erdenet, Mongolia; La Escondida, Chile;
Sarcheshmeh, Iran

Table 3 Summary of main copper deposit types.
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Major deposit classes
Porphyry deposits
Porphyry copper deposits are currently the worlds
main source of copper (5060% of world production),
molybdenum (99% of world production) and rhenium
15
.
They are also signicant sources of gold, silver and tin
and a range of by-product metals. Porphyry deposits are
associated with subduction
16
-related felsic
17
igneous
18

intrusions. As a result they occur in plate boundary
collision areas such as the Canadian Cordillera, the Andes
Mountains and around the western margin of the Pacic
Basin in the Philippines, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
The mineralisation is fracture-controlled, typically
consisting of stockwork of quartz veins and breccias
containing copper sulphides with gold and/or molybdenum.
Mineralisation can develop in both the intrusive and host
rock, typically associated with a core of intense alteration
passing outwards into distinct zones characterised by
other secondary alteration
19
minerals. Mineralisation may
occupy several cubic kilometres and deposits typically
contain hundreds of millions of tonnes of ore, although
they can range in size from tens of millions to billions of
tonnes. Copper grades generally range from 0.2 per cent to
more than 1 per cent.
Sediment-hosted deposits
Sediment-hosted deposits are the worlds second most
important source of copper accounting for approximately
20% of world production. They are also important
sources of lead, zinc and silver and the worlds primary
source of cobalt, especially from the Central African
Copperbelt. Deposits consist of disseminations of ne-
grained sulphides in a variety of continental sedimentary
rocks including black shale, sandstone and limestone.
These sequences are typically associated with red-bed
sandstones and evaporites
20
.
Tonnages vary, with the average being 22 million tonnes
grading 2.1% Cu and 23 g/t Ag (Mosier et al 1986) but
can be as much as several hundred million tonnes. The
enormous Lubin orebody in south-west Poland contains
2600 million tonnes with >2.0% Cu and 3080 g/t Ag.
The Central African Copperbelt is the worlds largest
province containing stratiform
21
sediment-hosted copper
mineralisation. The Copperbelt is a 600 kilometre long and
50 kilometre wide belt extending across Zambia and the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
Boundaries between different base-metal deposit types in
sedimentary/volcanic sequences are sometimes unclear
and depend heavily on the selection criteria employed.
Red-bed copper deposits
The two types of red-bed mineralisation are volcanic
and sedimentary. Volcanic-hosted deposits occur in
mac terrestrial lava ows and associated volcaniclastic
sedimentary rocks with sulphides disseminated through
permeable
22
host rocks or lling cavities.
Sedimentary-hosted deposits form in red continental
sediments deposited in oxidising environments and consist
of disseminated sulphide deposited in permeable layers
in the host rock. It is suggested that copper is precipitated
in these deposits when oxygen-rich uids rise through
permeable zones and encounter reduced material such as
organic matter and pyrite.
Sedimentary-hosted deposits are generally uneconomic
due to their small size, although they have been worked
at Dzhezkazaga, Kazakhstan and Paoli, USA. In contrast,
volcanic-hosted deposits are important copper producers.
Tonnages range from hundreds of thousands to hundreds
of millions of tonnes, typically grading around one to four
percent copper.
Volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits
VMS deposits are important sources of copper and many
other metals owing to their widespread distribution,
substantial tonnages (0.1500 million tonnes) and
relatively high grades. Precious metals, including silver
and gold, are common by-products. Ore bodies are large,
stratiform lenses and sheets formed on the seaoor
through the discharge of metal-rich hydrothermal uids.
4
15
Rhenium: a rare, heavy, silvery-white metal used in alloys.
16
Subduction: the movement of oceanic crust under continental or oceanic crust.
17
Felsic: rock containing light coloured silicate minerals e.g. quartz and feldspar.
18
Igneous: rocks which have a crystalline texture and appear to have consolidated from molten rock.
19
Alteration: changes in the chemical or mineral composition of a rock.
20
Evaporite: a sedimentary rock composed of minerals produced by evaporation of water e.g. gypsum and rock salt.
21
Stratiform: an ore deposit that occurs as a specic sedimentary bed.
22
Permeable: allows a gas or uid to move through it.
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They are formed in extensional tectonic
23
settings with
modern-day examples currently developing at spreading
centres
24
and in oceanic arc
25
terranes. A mound-shaped,
stratabound massive sulphide body is typically underlain
by a stockwork feeder zone. Deposits are generally
restricted to specic stratigraphic
26
intervals within a
province and tend to occur in clusters.
VMS deposits may be divided into three main categories
based on their mineralogy Kuroko, Besshi and Cyprus
types. Deposits vary in size considerably but are generally
high grade and low tonnage, with some giants such as Rio
Tinto, Spain with around 250 million tonnes at 1% Cu, 2%
Zn and 1% Pb (Galley et al.).
Magmatic sulphide deposits
A diverse group of deposits containing copper in
association with nickel and platinum-group elements (PGE)
occurring as sulphide concentrations within mac and
ultramac rocks.
As a magma
27
rises through the crust it cools and, if the
sulphur content of the magma is sufcient, a separate
liquid sulphide phase may develop (droplets of sulphide
liquid in a silicate liquid). Elements such as nickel, copper,
PGE and iron preferentially transfer into the sulphide phase
from the surrounding magma. The metal-rich sulphide
liquid tends to sink because of its greater density, forming
sulphide concentrations on the magma chamber
28
oor.
Worldwide deposits typically grade between 0.2 and
2% Cu with ore tonnages ranging from a few hundred
thousand to tens of millions of tonnes. The largest
magmatic sulphide nickel-copper deposits are of Archean
(40002500 million years) and Proterozoic (2500540
million years) age and are found at Sudbury, Ontario and
Norilsk-Talnakh, Russia.
Sedimentary exhalative deposits (SEDEX)
These deposits are important sources of lead, zinc and
silver. Copper may be a signicant by-product in some
deposits. SEDEX, an acronym for sedimentary exhalative,
are deposits formed by the exhalation of brines
29
into
seawater or the seaoor sediments, causing chemical
precipitation of minerals as the brine cools.
SEDEX deposits display many similarities to VMS deposits,
except for the lack of close volcanic association. Deposits
are typically represented by sheet or tabular lenses
consisting of bands of ne-grained sulphide intercalated
with shale, silt and carbonate host rocks. The sulphide
bodies generally only measure a few metres thick but may
extend laterally for more than a kilometre. The median
tonnage for global deposits is 15 million tonnes with grades
of 5.6% Zn, 2.8% Pb and 30 g/t Ag (Briskey, 1986). Deposits
may contain up to 1% copper. Broken Hill, McArthur River
and Mount Isa in Australia, Meggen and Rammelsberg
in Germany and Tynagh in Ireland are all SEDEX deposits
containing copper.
Epithermal deposits
Epithermal deposits are important for their gold production
but may contain signicant quantities of silver, copper and
other metals. Deposits are associated with subduction-
related environments at plate boundaries. These deposits
may take the form of veins, stockworks or breccias and are
mainly Tertiary (632 million years) to Quaternary (2 million
years to present) in age. They usually form at shallow crustal
levels (300600 m) by circulation of magmatic uids through
volcanic rocks. Deposits are often spatially related to
porphyry deposits. Principal ore minerals include chalcocite,
covellite, bornite and native gold with minor amounts of
chalcopyrite. There is considerable variation in grade and
tonnage of these deposits but they can be extremely rich
e.g. El Indio, Chile with grades up to 178 g/t Au, 109 g/t Ag
and 3.87% Cu (Panteleyev, 1996).
Skarn deposits
A skarn is a metamorphic
30
rock that forms as a result
of chemical alteration by hydrothermal and other uids.
Copper skarns most frequently develop where granite
31

intrusions are emplaced into continental margin
32

carbonate sequences, such as limestone or dolomite,
causing intense alteration and mineral replacement.
5
23
Extensional tectonics: the tectonic processes associated with the stretching of the Earths crust.
24
Spreading centres: a region where two plates are being pulled apart and new crust is formed as molten rock is forced upward into the space e.g. Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
25
Oceanic arc: a chain of volcanic islands produced as one plate moves under another and melts.
26
Stratigraphic: the spatial ordering of geological layers or strata.
27
Magma: molten rock.
28
Magma chamber: a space below ground lled with magma.
29
Brine: water saturated or close to saturation with salt.
30
Metamorphic: rocks changed by temperature and pressure within the Earths crust.
31
Granite: an intrusive rock dominated by quartz and feldspar.
32
Continental margin: the zone of transition from a continent to ocean basin.
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Deposits are highly variable in form ranging from
tabular lenses to vertical pipes with irregular ore
33
zones
controlled by the intrusive contact
34
. The largest copper
skarns are associated with porphyry copper deposits.
Copper mineralisation is present as stockwork veining and
disseminations in both the intrusive and the surrounding
host rock. Chalcopyrite tends to be the dominant copper
mineral, occurring with bornite and tennanite
35
. Globally,
copper skarns average 1%2% per cent copper, generally
ranging from one to hundred million tonnes, although some
exceptional deposits exceed 300 million tonnes. Major
copper skarn mineralisation is associated with the Ok Tedi
porphyry intrusive system in Papua New Guinea.
Vein deposits
Vein deposits are intimately associated with many of the
deposit classes discussed above. Veins are mineralised
structures typically developed along fractures and varying
in thickness from centimetres to tens of metres or more.
Sulphides are commonly irregularly distributed as patches
and disseminations within quartz, carbonate and other
gangue
36
minerals.
The importance of vein deposits has steadily diminished
as changing economics and improved extraction
techniques have allowed large, low-grade deposits to be
mined. Copper commonly occurs in veins associated with
quartz, silver, gold and occasionally uranium, antimony
and phosphorus. These polymetallic
37
veins may be
related to porphyry copper, copper skarn, epithermal
gold-silver-copper and sediment-hosted copper deposits.
At the El Indio mine in Chile massive sulphide veins
can be over 10 m thick with average grades of 2.4% Cu
(Evans, 1993).
Supergene deposits
Secondary enrichment can affect most classes of mineral
deposit. Supergene
38
alteration is in-situ secondary
enrichment of a deposit whereby the primary ore minerals
are oxidised, dissolved and reprecipitated by reduction,
commonly at the water table
39
. Supergene enrichment
takes place above the primary hypogene ore and can be
laterally and vertically extensive (reaching tens of metres
downwards). This is an important process as it can affect
the economics of mining, especially of low-grade porphyry
and VMS deposits.
Enrichment blankets containing high-grade copper
minerals, such as chalcocite, covellite and bornite, may
enhance the average grade of the ore to one to three
percent copper. Supergene enrichment favours rocks that
are permeable to meteoric water and contain abundant
pyrite to allow the formation of oxidising acids. The
presence of acid-soluble metal-bearing minerals and a
redox barrier
40
(such as the water table) at depth may also
contribute to the formation of supergene deposits.
Supergene enrichment has been a major factor in the
development of several porphyry copper deposits. At La
Escondida, in Chile, the supergene blanket constitutes
around 65% of the copper resource of the deposit. Grades
of up to 3.5% Cu are recorded in this zone. A leached
cap containing lower grades of copper and molybdenum
overlies the enriched sulphides.
Deposit styles implications for exploitation
The large size of porphyry copper deposits, their relatively
low-grade and the intimate association of fractured host
rock, alteration and mineralisation makes them amenable
to opencast mining methods. With relatively thin horizons
such as those found in sediment-hosted copper deposits,
higher grades are required as they are typically mined
using underground methods. VMS deposits are sometimes
viewed as less favourable targets for mining companies
when compared to porphyry and sediment-hosted copper
deposits as a result of their complex mineralogy and
shape. However, due to their polymetallic nature, VMS
deposits are advantageous during periods of uctuating
metal prices. The shallow depth of formation of epithermal
deposits generally allows the use of bulk open pit mining
methods, although some higher grade deposits are
selectively worked underground.
6
33
Ore: rock from which metal or minerals can be economically extracted.
34
Intrusive contact: the zone between an intrusion and the surrounding host rock.
35
Tennantite: a copper-iron-arsenic sulphide mineral.
36
Gangue: the undesirable or unwanted minerals in an ore deposit.
37
Polymetallic: comprised of a combination of metals.
38
Supergene: ore minerals formed by processes commonly involving water containing dissolved material descending from the surface.
39
Water table: underground surface below which the ground is completely saturated.
40
Redox barrier: the zone at which oxidation-reduction reactions occur.
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Extraction methods and
processing
Extraction
Copper ore is extracted using three principal techniques.
The technique applied depends on the characteristics and
geographic location of the ore body (Figure 3).
Open-pit mining
This is the most common form of copper ore production. It
is generally appropriate for near-surface (<100 m), lower
grade steeply dipping or massive ore bodies such as
porphyry copper, copper skarn, SEDEX and most epithermal
deposits all of which are generally amenable to bulk
extraction.
The ore is extracted by digging or blasting with explosives.
It is then loaded onto trucks or conveyors and hauled to a
stockpile prior to further processing. The open pit copper
mine at Bingham Canyon, Utah, USA, is one of the largest
man-made excavations in the world. It is over 800 m deep
and four kilometres wide. It has been in operation over 100
years, mining chalcopyrite with minor bornite. Bingham
Canyon has cumulatively produced more copper than any
other mine in history, approximately 15 million tonnes.
Underground mining
Before the 1900s, copper was produced almost exclusively
from underground mines. Today, underground production is
less common due to the higher costs and safety issues.
Underground mining is suitable to extract higher grade,
small or deep ore bodies. Techniques used include block
caving (for large, uniform deposits), room and pillar
(typically for at, <30 dipping deposits), and a variety
of stoping methods (for narrow or steeply dipping veins).
The Lubin mine, in the Legnica-Glogow Copper district of
Poland, uses the room and pillar method of mining and
currently has about 20 km
2
of tunnels.
In-situ leaching
A system of injection and recovery wells completed from
the surface or from underground workings can be used
to extract copper from relatively deep, low-grade ore
bodies with minimal surface disturbance. The process
requires the deposit to be permeable and the surrounding
rock impervious
41
. A weak sulphuric acid leach solution
is pumped down injection wells and into the ore body.
Copper is dissolved into the solution as the leachate ows
through the deposit. This copper-rich solution is pumped
out through recovery wells which surround the injection
well and prevent the leaching solution from escaping. On
completion, fresh water is pumped around the system
for cleaning and the wells are cemented. In the Mopani
mines on the Zambian Copperbelt, in-situ leaching is being
conducted from old underground workings.
Processing
Ore grades and mineral composition will vary depending
on the type of mineralisation. Mined ores generally
contain 0.5%3% Cu. The rst phase in processing the
ore is concentration which increases the copper content
to 25%35%. This is typically carried out at the mine site
and involves crushing and grinding, followed by chemical
and/or physical processing and separation stages. Once
the copper has been concentrated it can be converted into
pure copper metal using two techniques:
Pyrometallurgical processes, including smelting and
electrolytic rening.
Hydrometallurgical processes, including leaching,
solvent extraction and electro-winning (SX-EW).
The two processes run well in parallel because during
smelting pyrometallurgy produces sulphur dioxide
gas, which can be converted into sulphuric acid and
hydrometallurgy consumes large quantities of sulphuric
acid for leaching.
Currently, hydrometallurgy is primarily used only for
oxide ores. However, research into commercially feasible
extraction of copper from primary sulphides which
can compete against smelting techniques is ongoing.
Hydrometallurgical processes have many advantages over
pyrometallurgical processes including:
lower grade ore can be processed;
higher energy efciency because lower temperatures
are required, (although large amounts of electricity are
required in the electrowinning phase);
lower environmental impact because waste streams are
liquid and more easily contained and neutralised than,
for example, the sulphur dioxide gas which is emitted
during smelting;
lower capital and operational costs make
hydrometallurgy more economical for smaller scale
operations.
1.
2.

7
41
Impervious: incapable of being penetrated by gas or liquid.
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Suitable ore beneciation methods are chosen and often
adapted to suit the specic mineralogical characteristics
and geographic location of the ore body. Important factors
range from the composition and texture of the ore and
gangue minerals present, to the availability of labour,
water and electricity.
Concentration
Crushing and grinding
The ore is fed into a primary crusher, followed by one
or more stages of secondary crushing. At each stage
vibrating screens allow material with the desired
dimensions to pass on to the next part of the processing
circuit. Following crushing, the ore is mixed with water to
create a slurry. This is fed into a series of grinders until a
powder of the required grain size is produced.
Froth otation
Froth otation is a selective process for separating minerals
using water, various chemicals and compressed air.
Following grinding, additional water is added to the
powdered ore to produce a suspension. Air is blown
upwards through the tanks. Chemicals are added, making
certain minerals water repellent and causing air bubbles
to stick to their surfaces. Consequently, these minerals
collect in a froth at the surface and are removed. The
resulting concentrate is dewatered in thickeners and lters
and contains approximately 2535% Cu, 25% S and 25%
Fe, with varying quantities of other impurities.
Leaching
Leaching is another method that may be used to
concentrate the copper ore which can be employed either
before or after the crushing stage. This process is covered
in more detail under Hydrometallurgical processes.
Pyrometallurgical processes
The copper concentrate is fed into a smelting furnace to
further separate the copper from impurities. Recycled
scrap copper may also enter the process. Four stages are
involved: roasting, smelting, converting and re rening.
Some smelters combine some of these into a continuous
process. Matte copper (3568% Cu) is rst produced,
followed by blister copper (9799% Cu). Blister copper
can be further puried to anode copper (99.5% Cu) by re
rening or cathode copper by electrolytic rening
(99.9599.96% Cu).
Roasting
Roasting converts the copper concentrates to oxides,
removing most of the sulphur as sulphur dioxide gas,
which can be captured and converted to sulphuric acid
(H
2
SO
4
). Other impurities, such as antimony, arsenic, and
lead are also driven off. The concentrate is mixed with a
siliceous ux
42
and heated to about 650C.
Smelting
The dry, hot roasted ore concentrate together with siliceous
ux is charged into the smelter, which is maintained at
10001500C to melt the charge. Impurities are removed
from the molten roasted concentrate by oxidation, leading
to the segregation of a slag
43
which is skimmed off and
discarded. Matte is the molten mixture under the slag,
comprising copper and iron sulphides (3568% Cu), which
remain to be converted to pure metal.
Converting
Air is blown through the molten matte to oxidise the iron
and copper sulphides. This produces more sulphur dioxide,
which can be captured to make acid. A silica and lime
ux is added which combines with the iron to form slag,
leaving blister copper (9799% Cu).
Fire rening
Blister copper is mixed with ux and enters the anode
furnace, which is maintained at 1100C. Air is blown
through the molten mixture to oxidise the copper and any
remaining impurities. The impurities are removed as slag.
The remaining copper oxide is then subjected to a reducing
atmosphere to form purer copper, which is cast into
anodes (99.5% Cu). This can now be used in some alloys
or castings but for the majority of applications, further
purication by electrolytic rening is necessary.
Electrolytic rening
The anodes cast during the re rening stage are
immersed in a sulphuric acid bath in an electrolytic cell.
The anode
44
dissolves and copper ions move through
the solution to the cathode where they are deposited
on starter sheets of stainless steel or pure copper foil
(Figure 4). The impurities precipitate out and collect at
the bottom of the bath as sludge which can be recycled
to extract other metals such as gold, silver and platinum.
The cathodes are removed after one to two weeks, with
50150 kg copper deposited on each side of the original
starter sheet.
9
42
Flux: material added to a furnace to remove impurities, lower the melting temperature, and make the slag more liquid.
43
Slag: waste material, which oats to the top during a smelting operation.
44
Anode: the positive electrode in an electrochemical cell.
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Hydrometallurgical processes
Hydrometallurgical processing involves chemical or biological
leaching of copper from the ore using dilute sulphuric acid.
The weak solution is concentrated using solvent extraction
techniques (SX) and the copper is precipitated out by
electrowinning (EW). In some circumstances, copper is
precipitated out of the leached weak solution, before the
concentration stage, by pouring it over scrap iron to form
cement copper. Here the copper precipitates out onto the
iron and has to be scraped/raked off daily. This is only seventy
to eighty percent pure and must then be smelted and rened.
Leaching
Copper oxide ore, low-grade copper sulphide ore or mine
waste (tailings) are placed in heaps or vats (Table 4).
Weak sulphuric acid is trickled through the heap to
dissolve the copper minerals. Chemicals such as ferric
chlorides can be added to help enhance dissolution of
copper sulphides. Particular strains of bacteria can be
injected into the heap to accelerate the process, in a
technique known as bio-leaching. Increasing pressure and
temperature in vat leaching can also facilitate dissolution.
Leaching produces a solution with a concentration of
thirty to seventy percent copper which is recovered from
drainage tunnels and ponds.
The highest and fastest yields of copper can be extracted
from oxide ores, or those which do not contain iron. Yields
may reach 50% in a year and 90% in ve years using the
heap leach technique. Yield times can be as short as days
or months for vat leaching.
Sulphide ores generally take much longer to leach and
produce a much lower yield (1015% per year is typical
in the early stages). Research is underway to nd faster
methods of extracting copper from sulphide ores using
leaching.
Solvent extraction (SX)
The solution recovered from leaching is mixed with a
chemical called an extractant, which selectively removes the
copper from the original acidic solution leaving behind most
of the impurities. A fresh acidic solution is used to strip the
copper from the extractant. The resulting, highly concentrated
copper solution is called a pregnant liquor solution (PLS)
which is transferred to the nal stage of electrowinning.
Electrowinning (EW)
The copper-rich solution is ltered, heated, then
passed through a series of electrolytic cells. A much
higher voltage is applied to the cells (3V) compared to
electrolytic rening (0.2V), because the copper has to rst
be reduced from copper sulphate in solution to copper
metal. The copper precipitates out onto stainless steel
starter sheets to form high-purity cathodes (99.99% Cu)
and the acid is recycled.
Copper manufacture
The copper cathodes produced from electrolytic rening
and electrowinning are shipped to mills and foundries
where they are cast into wire rod (for wires), billets (to
make tubes, rods and bars stock), cakes (to make plate,
sheets and foil) or ingots (for alloying or casting). These
copper and copper-alloyed products are then shipped for
nal manufacturing, or distribution, to meet consumers
needs. Scrap (including excess material discarded during
manufacturing and copper-bearing products sent for
disposal) can be recycled back into the system.
10

Figure 4 Copper cathodes.
Type Suitable for Preparation /
Method
Timescale to
extract ~70% Cu
Dump Large
volumes of
low-grade ore
and waste
No preparation Months to years
Heap Low-grade
ores
Crushed and
ground
Days to months
Vat Relatively
low volumes,
generally
higher grade
ore
Crushed/ground
oxides agitated
in percolating
tanks
Hours or days
Table 4 Processing and timescales for different leaching
methods for copper oxide ores.
B
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Specication and uses
Specication
Copper is used and traded in a wide variety of forms, the
most important of which are discussed below.
Copper matte a mixture of copper and iron sulphides in
the form of black granules or a consolidated mass. The
majority of matte never enters the market and is rened to
a purer form.
Cement copper a ne black powder containing copper
metal, copper oxides and insoluble impurities precipitated
by adding iron to a copper leachate solution or by pouring
the solution over scrap iron.
Black copper an impure form of copper produced by
smelting oxidised copper ores or impure scrap. Copper
content is typically in the range of 6085%.
Blister copper an impure form of copper produced by
blowing air through molten copper matte. The copper
content is generally around 98%.
Copper anodes are slabs produced from further
rening. Hot air is blown through the copper at a higher
temperature than for blister copper. It is then subjected
to a reducing atmosphere. The cast slabs are used in
electrolytic rening.
Rened copper is metal containing at least 97.5% by
weight copper. Rened copper is fabricated to produce
nished products of various shapes according to intended
end-use. These include bar, rod, tube, sheet, plate, foil,
strip, castings, and powder.
Copper alloys are mixtures of metals in which copper is
the dominant metal by weight. The precise combination
of elements to form an alloy is usually designed to take
advantage of and enhance certain characteristics for
a specic purpose. For example, copper can be mixed
with tin to form bronze which has superior hardness and
strength than copper alone. There are over 370 commercial
types of copper alloys in use today. These can take the
form of cast
45
or wrought
46
alloys.
Copper compounds various copper-bearing compounds
are used in commercial applications. Copper sulphate
(CuSO
4
.5H
2
O), a characteristically bright blue salt, is the
most important and widely used copper compound. Other
important copper compounds include copper acetates,
cupric oxide, chloride and nitrate, cuprous chloride, copper
cyanide, copper naphthenate and copper soaps.
Uses
The ability to conduct electricity and heat are two of the most
important properties of copper, since about a quarter of all
copper produced is used in electrical applications (Figure 5).
Coppers excellent resistance to corrosion and long life span
is illustrated by its extensive use in architecture, particularly
roong, where it can survive for more than a hundred years.
When alloyed with other metals it acquires additional
properties including increased hardness, tensile strength and
improved corrosion resistance. Brass and bronze are two of
the most important alloys of copper. Its malleability and ease
of use in machines during the fabrication process allows
for a high production rate of accurate copper shapes for a
relatively lower cost than that of its substitutes. As a result
of these and other important properties discussed below,
copper has become a major industrial metal, ranking third
after iron and aluminium in terms of quantity consumed.
Electrical
Coppers largest use is in electrical products. Copper is the
best electrical conductor after silver and is widely used in
the production of energy-efcient power circuits. Electron
tubes used in televisions and computer monitors, audio
and video amplication and in microwave ovens depend on
copper for their internal components. Copper is extensively
used in computers where cables, connectors and circuit
11
Construction
Electrical products
Transportation
equipment
Industrial
equipment
Consumer and
general products

Figure 5 Consumption of copper by end-use sector.
Derived from: International Copper Study Group (ICSG)
and World Bureau of Metal Statistics (WBMS).
45
Cast: metal shaped in casting moulds when molten.
46
Wrought: metal cut, shaped or worked when solid.
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boards all rely on copper. Copper is increasingly being
used in computer chips in place of aluminium, resulting in
faster operating speeds. Copper wire is extensively used
in telecommunications and is essential for high-speed
communication between computers.
Construction
Copper is used in many forms in buildings including wire,
plumbing pipes and ttings, electrical outlets, switches and
locks. Construction of an average modern house requires at
least 200 kg of copper metal. Copper roong is highly rated
for its corrosion resistance and architectural characteristics.
Consumer and general products
Copper is extensively used in household products. Most
silver-plated cutlery has a copper-zinc-nickel alloy base.
Copper is used in many other domestic applications including
cooking pans, lighting, clocks and for decorative purposes.
Transportation
Copper is commonly used for radiators, brakes and wiring in
motor vehicles, with a modern car containing up to 28 kg of
copper. Improvements in electronics and addition of powered
accessories have led to increased use of copper in modern
cars. Copper-nickel alloys are biotoxic and help reduce the
growth of organisms on the hulls of ships and boats.
World resources and production

World resources
According to USGS world identied resources of copper
metal are estimated at about 1.6 billion tonnes, not
including about an additional 700 million tonnes in deep-sea
nodules. Current world reserves are estimated at 467 000
tonnes, nearly one third of which are found in Chile (Table 5).
12
Country
Reserves
(000 tonnes)
Percent share
Chile 140 000 30.0
United States 35 000 7.5
Indonesia 35 000 7.5
Peru 30 000 6.4
Poland 30 000 6.4
Mexico 27 000 5.8
China 26 000 5.6
Australia 24 000 5.1
Russia 20 000 4.3
Zambia 19 000 4.1
Kazakhstan 14 000 3.0
Canada 7 000 1.5
Rest of the world 60 000 12.8

Table 5 World copper metal reserves 2005. Source: USGS.

Figure 6 World production of mined, smelted and rened copper 1940 2005. Pie charts show percentage mined in each region.
0
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World mined production World smelted production World refined production (no data pre- 1976)
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World production
Copper is produced in around fty countries, six of which
currently mine over 500 000 tonnes of copper each
annually. The total production from these six countries
amounts to 80% of world mine production.
During the last 65 years global mined production of copper
has increased at an average rate of 2.6% per year (Figure
6). In the last 20 years, copper production has almost
doubled from 8.4 million tonnes in 1985 to 15 million
tonnes in 2005. This sustained rise in copper production
can be attributed to the steady rise in copper demand from
growing economies around the world.
The proportion of copper mined in South America has
increased from about one quarter to nearly one half of
total world production (Figure 7). This is largely due to
an increase in production from Chile, from 16% of world
production in 1985, up to 35% in 2005. A more stable
political climate has created favourable conditions for
mining companies to tap Chiles vast copper resources. In
North and Central America production has declined and
the contribution from Asia has been increasing.
During the last 1015 years mine production has become
decoupled from total smelter production, whereas prior
to 1990 the two correlated very well. This divergence
can be explained by increasing use of hydrometallurgical
extraction techniques which compete with smelter
production.
Rising demand for copper means that many mines are
now operating at almost full capacity (about 90% capacity
in 2005 according to the International Copper Study
Group ICSG). Smelting and rening are also reaching a
bottleneck. This, coupled with limited expansion potential
and diminishing ore reserves of existing mines, means
that production is likely to level off unless the currently
high copper prices are reinvested into exploration and
future production infrastructure. Mined copper production
is vulnerable to disruptions in supply caused by problems
such as strikes, natural disasters and concerns over
supplies of natural gas and water. Water is of particular
relevance in Chile, where mines high in the Atacama
Desert compete for water with growing cities.
Improved mining and extraction techniques now allow
copper from lower grade ores that were previously
considered as waste to be extracted using chemical and
bio-leaching techniques. However, in many cases the leach
cycle may be measured in years, resulting in a considerable
lag time in copper metal production by these methods.
Total world production in 2005 was 15 million tonnes
(Table 6). Chile is the largest copper producing country
(Figure 7). In 2005 Chile produced 5.3 million tonnes
of copper, 35% of world production. The two largest
producing mines in 2005 were La Escondida and
Chuquicamata in Chile (Table 7).
Total world production of smelter copper was 11.9 milion
tonnes in 2005 (Table 8 and Figure 8). There are over 100
smelters in operation in more than 30 countries, with Asia
contributing 44% of the world total production in 2005.
13

Table 6 2005 mine production of copper (Cu content).
Total
(tonnes)
% of
world
Asia 2 839 246 19
N & C America 2 163 854 14
Europe 1 549 157 10
S America 6 650 643 44
Africa 684 538 5
Australasia 1 122 978 7
15 010 416
USA
Indonesia
Peru
Australia
China
Russia
Canada
Poland
Zambia
Other
countries
Chile

Figure 7 2005 mine production of copper (Cu content)
Source: BGS World Mineral Production 20012005.
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Total world rened copper production was 16.6 million
tonnes in 2005, from over 40 countries (Figure 9). In 2005
38% of rened copper was produced in Asia (Table 9).
The majority of mines shown in Table 7 are open pit,
although Grasberg in Indonesia has both open pit and
underground operations (Figure 10). Production from
Grasbergs Deep Ore Zone (DOZ) is by a block cave operation
which is one of the worlds largest underground mines.
Nineteen percent of mill throughput per day is from the DOZ.
14

Table 9 2005 rened production of copper.
Total (tonnes) % of world
Asia 6 309 000 38
N & C America 2 149 000 13
Europe 3 549 000 21
S America 3 549 000 21
Africa 557 000 3
Australasia 471 000 3
16 584 000 100

Table 8 2005 smelter production of copper.
Total (tonnes) % of world
Asia 5 304 000 31
N & C America 1 305 000 8
Europe 2 384 000 14
S America 2 079 000 12
Africa 382 000 2
Australasia 412 000 2
11 866 000

Figure 8 2005 smelter production of copper.
Source: BGS World Mineral Production 20012005.
Chile
Japan
Russia
Poland
USA
Canada
Other
countries
China
Kazakhstan
Korea,
Republic of Australia

Figure 9 2005 rened production of copper.
Source: BGS World Mineral Production 20012005.
China
Japan
USA
Russia
Other
countries
Chile
Germany
Poland
Korea,
Republic of
Canada
Peru

Table 7 Top 10 copper mines, based on 2005 mine production (Cu content).
Ranking Mine Country Main owner Production 2005 % of world
1 La Escondida Chile BHP Billiton 1 157 400 7.7
2
Coldeco Norte
(Chuquicamata)
Chile Coldeco 964 900 6.4
3 Grasberg Indonesia Freeport McMoran 662 200 4.4
4 El Teniente Chile Coldeco 437 400 2.9
5 Collahuasi Chile Anglo American 427 100 2.8
6 Morenci USA Phelps Dodge 400 000 2.7
7 Antamina Peru BHP Billiton /Xstrata 364 700 2.4
8 Los Pelambres Chile Antofagasta 322 800 2.1
9 Batu Hijau Indonesia Newmont 270 300 1.8
10 Andina Chile Coldeco 248 100 1.7
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World trade
Most international copper trading takes place on three
major metals exchanges:
London Metal Exchange (LME) copper is traded in
dollars in 25 tonne lots;
New York Commodities Exchange (COMEX) trading is
based on 25 000 pounds of copper quoted in dollar cents;
Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) ve tonne lots of
copper are quoted in reminibi.
Stockpiles of the metals are held in exchange warehouses
worldwide. The levels of the stockpile reect the supply
and demand characteristics of the physical market.
Copper traders use copper futures and options to manage
future price risk, and copper contracts may also be used as
investment vehicles. The most important copper products
in international trade in 2005 were rened copper (57%),
concentrate (36%) and blister copper (7%). In addition
to rened copper, trade in semi-fabricated products and
copper alloys has grown rapidly in recent years.
During the last decade there has been a major relocation
of global manufacturing capacity towards the emerging
economies of central Asia, in particular, China. The impact
of these changes is obvious in the natural resources
markets where direct copper usage is shifting from
developed countries to newly industrialising nations.
This has had a signicant inuence on copper trade ows
worldwide.
Chinese imports of copper concentrates have increased
rapidly since 2002, driven by extensive growth in smelting
capacity. Japan and China are the two largest importers of
copper concentrate worldwide (Figure 11). Chile accounted
for 40% of copper concentrate supplied to China in

2005 and Chilean imports to China may increase further

following the signing of a Free Trade Agreement. Peru is
also a signicant trade partner with China accounting for
16% of Chinese copper concentrate imports. Chile, which
produces over a third of all copper globally, dominates
the export market for both copper concentrate and rened
copper (Figure 11 and 12). Chile has recently reviewed
trade links with India through the signing of a Partial
Access Agreement strengthening trade links with central
Asia. In an attempt to improve security of supply and
access to raw materials, China has sought partnerships
with major copper-producing countries and companies.
An agreement between Chinas largest metals trading
company, Minmetals, and the worlds largest copper
producer, Chiles Corporacin Nacional del Cobre de Chile
(Codelco), aims to ensure a long-term stable copper supply
to China. The deal provides China with 55 000 tonnes of
rened copper each year for over 15 years in exchange
for help from China in developing projects in Chile. The
European Union is heavily dependent on the rening and
smelting of concentrates imported from countries such as
Australia, Chile and Indonesia and recycling of production
scrap or end-of-life products.
Prices
The price paid for copper on the metal exchanges primarily
reects global balances of copper supply and demand,
but may be signicantly affected by speculative activity,
currency exchange rates and market news.
Copper demand and price typically reect global economic
cycles and, as a result, the copper price has historically
experienced major uctuations (Figure 13). There were
times in the 1990s when the copper price approached $3000
tonne. However, for a ve-year period up to the end of 2003
16
Japan
China
South Korea
Germany
Spain
Philippines
Finland
Brazil
Canada
Other
Chile
Indonesia
Peru
Australia
Canada
Papua New
Guinea
Argentina
Mongolia
United States
Portugal
Other
(a)
(b)
Figure 11 Trade in unrened copper in 2005 (a) Exports (b) Imports. Source: World Metal Statistics.
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copper prices were relatively stable trading between $1400
and $2000 tonne. Towards the end of 2003 and early 2004
prices began to increase, reaching $4500 tonne by the
end of 2005. Many analysts at the time suggested this
elevated copper price was not sustainable. However, the
price continued to escalate in 2006. Although the price of
copper currently appears very high in terms of US$/tonne,
in real
47
terms the current price is not quite as exceptional
as it seems in nominal
48
terms. Real copper prices followed
a general downward trend up to 2002 whilst the nominal
price of copper has increased, with spectacular gains since
2003 (Figure 13).
The copper market was exceptionally strong during 2006
with copper prices averaging $6700 tonne over the whole
year, an 83% increase over 2005 (Figure 15). During the
rst ve months of 2006, copper prices continued their
upward trend and in May the LME spot price reached a
record-high of $8780 tonne, with an average price for the
month of $8044 tonne.
17
47
Real price: is adjusted for changes in the value of money.
48
Nominal price: ignores changes in ination and other factors.

Figure 13 Historical spot price for copper 19762006. Derived from: Metal Bulletin. Real price adjusted for changes in the
value of money compared to 2000.
$0
$1 000
$2 000
$3 000
$4 000
$5 000
$6 000
$7 000
1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
U
S
$
/
t
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e

Nominal
price
Real 2000
price
China
USA
Italy
Taiwan Germany
France
South
Korea
Malaysia
Thailand
Turkey
Other
Chile
Peru
Zambia
Australia
Russia
Canada
Poland
Indonesia
Japan
Other
Kazakhstan
(a)
(b)

Figure 12 Trade in rened copper in 2005 (a) Exports (b) Imports. Source: World Metal Statistics.
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The decit in the availability of rened copper experienced
during the previous three years persisted into 2006
resulting in tight supply and critically low levels of stocks
in exchange warehouses, amounting to less than three
days global consumption at times. The supply-demand
imbalance ensured prices reacted strongly to market
developments resulting in considerable volatility and
price spikes. Higher metal prices resulted in increased
speculative demand for copper as an investment. Global
mine production in 2006 was lower than expected as a
result of production problems and labour disputes resulting
in strikes in key copper-producing countries. Grupo Mexico
experienced considerable losses as a result of strikes at a
number of its operations. Production at Chiles Escondida
mine was interrupted for most of July by labour disputes
causing loss of an estimated 45 000 tonnes of contained
copper. At total of around 500 000 tonnes of production,
or three percent of global production, is estimated to have
been lost as a result of disruptions associated with labour
disputes and other operational problems during 2006.
By the end of 2006, copper prices had fallen considerably
from the record highs in May of that year. This reected
moderation in demand, recovery of global mine output
from disruptions earlier in the year and growing exchange
inventories. In addition, escalating oil prices and an abrupt
decrease in United States house building signalled possible
global economic slowdown resulting in decreased demand
for industrial materials. Exchange inventories reached a low
of 153 000 tonnes in July 2006 rising to over 210 000 tonnes
in November. At the end of 2006, however, prices remained
45% higher than at the end of the previous year.
The underlying reason for rising metal prices during the
last three years has been growing demand from emerging
economies, primarily China. Copper consumption has been
driven by rapid expansion of the Chinese electronics and
construction sectors both of which are heavily dependent
on copper. China accounts for around 25% of world
copper consumption. India has also shown strong signs of
growth and its automotive and construction sectors are
rapidly developing. The copper consumption picture during
2006 was complex, with conicting reports regarding
Chinese consumption. In 2006, world copper consumption
increased by only four percent over 2005 to 17.4 million
tonnes, a much smaller increase than in previous years.
Estimates suggest Chinese copper consumption declined
by around one percent despite continued strong economic
growth, although unreported State Reserve Bureau copper
sales cloud Chinas true consumption gures.
Chinese copper imports decreased in 2006 in response
to higher prices and increased domestic availability from
domestic cathode production, state reserves and greater
scrap recycling. According to reports by the International
Copper Study Group (ICSG), during the rst 9 months of
2006 there was a global copper surplus of more than 80
000 tonnes compared with a production decit of more
than 300 000 tonnes during the same period in 2005.
Developments in China and the USA, the worlds largest
copper consumers, are likely to have the greatest impact on
future global copper consumption. Copper demand in China
is predicted to continue growing, driven by further growth in
the construction sector as well as a requirement to replenish
Chinese inventories which were depleted during 2006.
Rising copper prices in recent years have led to investment in
new production capacity, expansions at key operations and
previously uneconomic projects becoming viable. However,
the large projects in particular have considerable lag times
and some have encountered problems. Global copper mine
production is forecast to grow by six percent in 2007.
Phelps Dodge commissioned their Cerro Verde expansion
in Peru in early 2007, adding around 145 000 tonnes a year
to production and a number of smaller operations are also
due to come online. Record copper prices have also spurred
consolidation within the sector. Notable is Freeport-
McMoRan Copper & Gold Incs takeover of Phelps Dodge to
create the worlds largest publicly traded copper producer.
19
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Alternative technology
Secondary production: recycling
Secondary production, derived from the recycling of
copper scrap, accounts for around two thirds of total
copper production (Figure 15). Copper and its alloys
can be continuously recycled without diminishing their
useful properties. Producing copper from recycling takes
approximately one sixth of the energy required to produce
copper from ore (because the oxidation and reducing
stages are not necessary). As a result, a large proportion
(~80%) of all the copper that has ever been mined is still in
use today.
The way in which copper scrap is recycled depends on
its purity. High purity copper or specic alloy mixes are
collected and segregated and can simply be re-melted in a
smelter and recast for use in subsequent fabrication. With
alloys, minor adjustments can be made to the composition
while it is molten, in order to bring the resulting mixture up
to specication. Less pure or mixed scrap can be smelted
and directly recast for use in non-electrical applications
where purity is not so critical, such as plumbing and
roong. Alternatively, scrap can be mixed with pure copper
to dilute the impurities, or, if necessary, cast into anodes
and electrolytically rened, as in the nal stages of primary
copper processing. If the scrap includes certain specic
materials, for example tinned or lead-soldered copper,
it may be more economic to take advantage of these
contaminants, rather than trying to remove them. Certain
alloys which contain those metals, such as gunmetal and
bronze, can use this scrap as smelter feedstock.
It is important that the waste streams of copper scrap
for recycling are segregated to avoid unnecessary
contamination of the copper with impurities which
will involve extra processing to remove. Scrap can be
classied in several ways, but it can broadly sub-divided
into two categories, new scrap and old scrap.
New scrap
This includes all scrap from processing to manufacturing,
before it enters the consumer market. New scrap
comprises:
process scrap includes processing residues,
slag, nes and drosses
49
. It is usually 100% reused
immediately within the plant.

home scrap or run-around scrap - is the punching,

borings, turnings and cuttings generated in foundries
and mills which are taken back to the casting shop,
where it is re-melted and cast into cakes.
prompt scrap, industrial and return scrap are the
stampings, cuttings and turnings produced when the
semi-fabricated products are converted into parts in
metal workings shops. It is usually returned to the mill
that supplied it.
Old scrap
This is all post-consumer scrap derived from worn out
or obsolete copper products. It is harder to collect and
separate for recycling than new scrap, as it is often mixed
with other materials in a single appliance. This scrap is
usually sold to a merchant or dealer, who, in turn, sells it to
a mill or other processor for sorting. Old scrap comprises:
end-of-life vehicles (ELV) the copper is recovered
and recycled from radiators, engine parts and electronic
components.
construction & demolition (C&D) includes wiring,
roong and plumbing materials.
waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
mainly consists of circuit boards and wiring, which
can be difcult and expensive to separate as they
may contain hazardous materials, such as mercury or
batteries.
Substitutes
Copper in electrical applications
Silver is the best electrical conductor known to man
and copper is the second, but silver is too expensive to
be economically used in electrical wires. Other cheaper
alternatives include aluminium. However, non-copper wires
can creep causing connections to loosen and therefore
require checking periodically. Also anti-oxide paste must
be applied where the wires are joined and connected, as
anodic corrosion can cause the aluminium to disintegrate.
Aluminium oxide does not conduct, although copper oxide
does. A combination of the two metals has been used
in bimetallic copper-clad aluminium (CCA) wire, which is
an aluminium core covered with copper cladding. It costs
and weighs less, and handles and installs more easily
than solid copper wire. In certain telecommunications
applications optical bre can replace copper wire.

20
49
Drosses: solid metal processing waste.
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B G S N E R C
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Water pipe and plumbing xtures
Aluminium and plastics are the two most common
substitutes for copper for this application. There is an
aluminium plastic composite water piping system, which
is made of aluminium tube, laminated inside and out with
plastic, to create piping that is lightweight, exible, strong,
corrosion-resistant and that can be easily bent or formed
by hand. Plastics include CPVC, PVC and PEX which are
cheaper, have reduced noise, are more energy efcient,
have less condensation than copper, no corrosion or scale
build up, no pin hole leaks and are chlorine resistant. They
are also easier to install and modify at a later stage.
Heat exchangers
Copper is commonly used for heat exchangers lled with
water or ethylene glycol with water. Alternative materials
include steel, titanium, aluminium and plastic, each of
which lend themselves to particular applications:
Stainless steel heat exchangers can operate at higher
temperatures and are more rugged than copper ones.
They are ideal for heating or cooling corrosive uids in
chemical, pharmaceutical, and rening processes.
Titanium units can also tolerate high temperatures
and high pressures, with superior corrosion resistance.
They are also 510 times lighter than their steel
counterparts, although they are much more expensive.
They are often used in marine applications.
Aluminium is mainly used in cold temperature
applications (to -270
o
C). It has good heat transfer
performance, relatively high pressure ratings and is
lighter than other metals.
Plastic polyvinylidene uoride, polypropylene, and
polyethylene construction is specically useful for
highly corrosive gases, for example in the condensation
recovery of acidic components from biological waste
incineration.
Automotive radiators
In the past automobile radiators were largely made
of brass, because of its machinability, and thermal
conductivity properties. A common substitution is now
aluminium. This is because aluminium is lighter and less
affected by corrosion from the coolant. In addition there
were environmental concerns about the lead (brass is a

copper-lead alloy) in manufacturing and repair shops. The

lead-tin solder used in brass radiators can also creep and
cause leaks.
Miscellaneous
Steel now substitutes for copper used for artillery shell
casings because it is cheaper. Aluminium is often used in
cooling ns and refrigerator tubing.
Research and development
Research into improving the efciency and cost
effectiveness of extracting and processing copper is
ongoing.
A variety of chemical and biological techniques to leach
copper, particularly from sulphide ores, is being developed,
with many pilot plants in operation around the world.
Some of these processes have already entered commercial
use, such as the BIOCOP
TM
process used by BHP Billiton
in Chile, Hydrocopper
R
developed by Outokumpu and
commissioned in Erdenet, Mongolia.
These techniques include leaching under elevated
pressure and/or under raised or controlled temperatures.
Others involve addition of catalysts (such as silver ions),
chemicals (such as chlorides), or bacteria cultivated
under particular conditions (called biohydrometallurgy
or bio-leaching). Bacteria can be used to speed up
and optimise copper yields under certain conditions.
The effectiveness of the process depends on the ore
mineralogy and how easily the optimum conditions can
be maintained.
As hydrometallurgical technology is rened it will enable
lower grade ores which had previously been considered
waste, to potentially yield copper in a cheaper, more
efcient and environmentally friendly way than the
traditional pyrometallurgical processing route.

Coppers versatility ensures that new uses continue to
be explored. Expanding markets are in the construction,
electrical and marine transport industries. Health and
medical applications are beginning to take advantage of
the natural antibacterial properties of copper metal. These
include applications such as lining water containers in
countries where access to clean water is limited and use
in hospitals and food preparation areas.
22
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Focus on Britain
Known occurrences
Copper mineralisation occurs in many areas of Britain
and although there is currently no copper production,
Britain has an important history of copper mining. There
is evidence of Bronze Age copper mining in south-west
England and in North Wales. In Cornwall, copper and tin
were traded with the Phoenicians as early as 1500 BC. The
Parys Mountain Mine in Anglesey, North Wales, which
may have been mined during Roman times, was the worlds
largest copper producer for a period in the eighteenth
century (Figure 16). Returns for the whole of the
nineteenth century show Britain to be the worlds fourth
largest copper producer, accounting for nearly ten percent
of total production. Extraction fell rapidly towards the end
of the century and the last UK copper mine, the Wheal
Jane tin-zinc-copper Mine in Cornwall, closed in 1991.
The decline of British copper mining was mainly the
result of falling metal prices and competition from
overseas (Chile, Australia and USA). Deposits were not of
sufciently high grade or abundance to remain economic.
After a long period of relatively low priced copper, the
recent upturn has resulted in some of the old mines and
newer discoveries being re-evaluated such as Anglesey
Minings Parys Mountain project in North Wales.
The following types of copper mineralisation have
been identied in the UK (Figure 17). A more detailed
description of localities and specic deposit types of
copper mineralisation found in the UK is covered by the
report Exploration for metalliferous and related minerals
in Britain: a guide.
Porphyry deposits
Disseminated copper mineralisation, locally with gold
enrichment, occurs at several localities associated with
Caledonian
50
intrusive rocks. The best known deposit
is Coed y Brenin, near Dolgellau in North Wales. This
deposit contains 200 million tonnes grading 0.3% Cu,
with trace gold. Coed y Brenin lies within the Snowdonia
National Park and proposals to mine it in the 1970s met
considerable opposition. Up until 1914 a breccia pipe
containing copper-gold mineralisation was worked at the
Glasdir mine close to Coed y Brenin, with total production
of about 75 000 tonnes at 1.5% Cu. In the south-west
Highlands of Scotland, disseminated polymetallic
mineralisation of epithermal-porphyry style is found at
Lagalochan.
23

Figure 16 Parys Mountain mine in North Wales.
50
Caledonian: a period of mountain building from middle Ordovician to mid-Devonian times, resulting in deformed rock and granitic intrusions over much of Scotland.
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Figure 17 Distribution of major copper occurrences in Britain.
0 100 200 kilometres
Shetland Islands
Edinburgh
Cardiff
London
Gairloch
Knock
Tomnadashan
Ballachulish
Kilchrist
Ardsheal
Cairngarroch
Llandudno
Snowdonia
Cae Coch
Coed-y-Brenin
Glasdir
Central Wales
Llandeloy
Treffgarne
Belstone
Lagalochan
Volcanogenic stratabound
Vein style (old mining areas)
Volcanogenic massive sulphide
Porphyry
Breccia pipe
Skarn
Sediment-hosted
Mafic intrusion-hosted
Epigenetic in limestone
Higher
Coombe
Vidlin
Ness
Alderley
Edge
N
Flowerdale
Forest
Lake
District
South-west England
Parys Mountain
Black Stockarton Moor
Fore Burn
Meall Mhor
McPhun's Cairn
Garbh
Achadh
Ecton
Hill
Middleton Tyas
Glendinning
Edinburgh
Devon Gt Consols
BGS NERC
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Red-bed deposits
Triassic (250 to 210 million years) red-beds in the English
Midlands are locally enriched in copper. The sandstones
51

and conglomerates
52
of the Sherwood Sandstone Group
in the Alderley Edge area of the Cheshire Basin are
historically most productive. The ore is dominated by
copper carbonates with small amounts of lead, cobalt,
zinc and traces of gold (Figure 18). Barytes is commonly
associated with the ore minerals. The mineralisation
preferentially develops in traps created by faulting
53
and the
overlying rocks. The deposits, which were worked from the
late 1600s to the 1920s, had an estimated grade of 2.1%
Cu and produced around 3200 tonnes of recovered metal.
Volcanic massive sulphide (VMS) and SEDEX deposits
Parys Mountain on Angelsey in North Wales is the most
signicant VMS deposit known in Britain and a historically
important copper producer. The deposit was extensively
mined by open pit and underground methods, producing
around 300 000 tonnes of copper in the late 1700s.
Mineralisation at Parys Mountain is associated with
highly altered volcanic rocks and mudstones
54
. In 1992,
Anglesey Mining determined a geological resource
55
of
6.5 million tonnes with an average grade of over 10%
combined Zn, Cu and Pb, with Au and Ag. Over the last
10 years extensive geological studies and drilling have
been conducted at the site. According to recent reports,
Anglesey Mining are planning to develop the project,
focusing on the near-surface part of the deposit which
has an estimated resource totalling 2.15 million tonnes at
0.36% Cu, 2.11% Pb, 4.13% Zn, 40 g/t Ag and 0.42 g/t Au.
The only other deposit of this type known in Wales is the
Cae Coch massive pyrite deposit of Orodvician (505 to 440
million years) age in Snowdonia.
Besshi-type
56
copper-zinc-gold mineralisation is found
in basic Lewisian
57
rocks near Gairloch in north-west
Scotland. Two laterally extensive sulphide horizons were
located, one of which can be traced for over 6 km and
consists mainly of iron sulphides. The other, with a length
of at least 1 km, comprises a 4 m thick quartz-carbonate
schist
58
with pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and gold.
The deposit was extensively drilled in the early 1980s.
Reported grades were about 1% Cu, 0.5% Zn and 1 g/t
Au which were not economic at that time. Stratabound
sulphides enriched in Pb-Zn-Ba and locally copper are
widespread in the Dalradian
59
rocks of Scotland. The
richest deposit is at Vidlin Ness in the Shetland Islands
where drilling revealed stratabound sulphides reaching
10 m thick and grading up to 1.19% Cu and 1.27%
Zn. In south-west England stratabound base-metal
mineralisation occurs locally in Devonian (410 to 360
million years) and Carboniferous (360 to 290 million years)
sedimentary and volcanic rocks. Drilling intersected low-
grade disseminated and veinlet copper mineralisation
near Higher Coombe in Devon.
Magmatic sulphide deposits
Layered mac-ultramac intrusions of late Caledonian
age underlie large areas in north-east Scotland and have
been the subject of exploration for nickel-copper and PGE
mineralisation. Exploration of the Aberdeenshire mac-
ultramac intrusives in the 1960s and 1970s led to the
drilling of the Knock intrusion and identied a geological
reserve of 3 million tonnes grading 0.52% Ni and 0.27%
Cu. Work at Arthrath, near Aberdeen, intersected weakly
mineralised intervals of nickel-copper sulphides over an
extensive area. Alba Minerals is currently prospecting the
area and have drilled new holes to verify historical data.
25
51
Sandstone: a sedimentary rock composed of sand-size mineral or rock grains.
52
Conglomerate: a coarse-grained sedimentary rock typically containing rounded particles.
53
Fault : a fracture in the Earths surface along which the opposite sides have moved.
54
Mudstone: a ne-grained sedimentary rock composed of clay sized particles.
55
Resource: a concentration of material in the Earths crust of economic interest.
56
Besshi-type: a sub-division of VMS deposits based on metal content.
57
Lewisian: highly deformed rocks in north-west Scotland.
58
Schist: a medium-grade metamorphic rock containing platy and elongated minerals.
59
Dalradian: a succession of Late Precambrian (4000 to 590 million years) and Cambrian (590 to 505 million years), mainly sedimentary rocks found in Scotland and Ireland.

Figure 18 Mineralised sandstone from Alderley Edge.
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Vein-style deposits
These are associated with either granitic intrusions (south-
west England), volcanic rocks (North Wales and Lake
District) or sedimentary basins (Central Wales). Historically
vein deposits have been important sources of copper in
Britain, particularly those in south-west England, which
was the worlds main source of copper in the rst half of
the nineteenth century. The mineralisation in this region
occurs in association with Hercynian
60
granites. The main
copper mineralisation generally occurred above the tin-
bearing parts of the system.
Epigenetic deposits in limestones
At Ecton Hill in the Southern Pennine Oreeld about
100 000 tonnes of ore containing 15% Cu were extracted
in the 1800s from two pipe-like vertical orebodies and
associated veins hosted by limestone. Small but very high-
grade copper deposits have also been mined in cavernous
Carboniferous limestones near Llandudno in North Wales,
at Llanymynech in the Welsh Borders and near Middleton
Tyas in Yorkshire.
Consumption
Britain is a major consumer of copper and copper-
containing products. The metal is used principally in
manufacturing (electronics, cars, white goods), building
(electrical systems), chemicals (dyes, explosives,
preservatives) and agriculture.
In 2005 the United Kingdom consumed 165 400 tonnes
of rened copper, which equates to one percent of total
world consumption (Figure 19). Within Europe, Britain
is the eighth largest consumer of copper goods, after
Poland, Spain, Belgium, France, Italy, Russia and Germany
(Germany has the largest consumption in Europe).
British consumption rose through the 1990s to a peak of 408
500 tonnes in 1997 and has since declined by nearly 40%.
The European average consumption per capita is 6.4 kg
copper, whereas the British gure is less than half of that,
at 2.8 kg per capita (World Bureau of Metal Statistics and
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs).
26
60
Hercynian (Variscan): a period of mountain building during the Carboniferous which resulted in deformed rock and granitic intrusions over much of south-west
England and western Europe.
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
1990 1994 1998 2002 2006
C
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(
t
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o
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s
a
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e
s
)

Figure 19 Consumption of rened copper in the UK from 1989 to 2006. Source: World Bureau of Metal Statistics.
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Selected references and further reading
AYRES, R U, AYRES, L W, and RADE I. 2002. The life cycle
of copper, its co-products and byproducts. Mining minerals
and sustainable development [online]. London, England.
International institute for environmental development.
Available from www.iied.org [cited February 2007].
BARTOS, P J. 2002. SX-EW copper and the technology
cycle. Resources Policy vol 28, pp 8594. Elsevier,
Amsterdam.
BRISKEY, J A. 1986. Descriptive Model of sedimentary
exhalative Zn-Pb. In: COX, D P. and SINGER, D A. Mineral
Deposit Models. U.S. Geological Survey, Bulletin 1693.
CLARK, M E, BATTY, J D, VAN BUUREN, C B, DEW, D W,
and EAMON, M A. 2006. Biotechnology in mineral
processing: technological breakthroughs creating value.
Hydrometallurgy vol 83, pp 39. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
COLMAN, T B. 1998. Minerals in Britain: Past
production future potential. Copper edition. DTI
commissioned report, British Geological Survey,
Nottingham. Available from www.mineralsUK.com.
COLMAN, T B, and Cooper, D C. 2000. Exploration for
metalliferous and related minerals in Britain: a guide, 2nd
edition. British Geological Survey, Nottingham.
DREISINGER, D. 2006. Copper leaching from primary
sulphides: Options for biological and chemical extraction
of copper. Hydrometallurgy vol 83, pp 1020. Elsevier,
Amsterdam.
EVANS, A M. 1993. Ore geology and industrial minerals,
an introduction (3rd edition). Blackwells Scientic
Publication, Oxford.
GALLEY, A, HANNINGTON, M, and JONASSON, I. Date
unknown. Volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits [online].
Ontario, Canada: Natural Resources Canada. Available
from http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca [cited 28 March 2007].
KANG, H Y, and SCHOENUNG, J M. 2002. Electronic waste
recycling: A review of U.S. Infrastructure and technology
options. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, vol 45,
pp 396400. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
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PANTELEYEV, A. 1996. Epithermal Au-Ag-Cu:
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27
Further reading and selected references
Useful contacts for further information
London Metal Exchange www.lme.co.uk
New York Metals Exchange www.nymex.com
Copper Development Association www.copper.org
International Wrought Copper Council www.coppercouncil.org
European Copper Institute www.eurocopper.org
International Copper Association www.copperinfo.com
International Copper Study Group www.icsg.org
Specic mining project information www.mining-technology.com
British Colombia Mineral Deposit Proles www.em.gov.bc.ca
Natural Resources Canada www.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/com
United States Geological Survey www.minerals.usgs.gov
World Bureau of Metal Statistics www.world-bureau.com
www.mineralsuk.com
C
o
p
p
e
r
PORTER, L, and ROBEY, J. 2000. The copper and lead mines
around the Manifold Valley, North Staffordshire. Landmark
Publishing Ltd. Derbyshire.
SPATARI, S, BERTRAM, M, FUSE, K, GRAEDEL T E, and
RECHBERGER, H. 2002. The contemporary European
copper cycle: waste management subsystem. Ecological
Economics vol 42, pp 4357. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
TAYLOR, A. 2002. Copper SX/EW- any rivals in site?
[online]. Brisbane, Australia, Alta metallurgical services.
Available from http://www.altamet.com.au [cited 18
December 2007].
TAYLOR, A. 2002. Big guns now on copper concentrate
leaching race [online]. Brisbane, Australia, Alta
metallurgical services. Available from
http://www.altamet.com.au [cited 28 March 2007].
TRICKEY, S J. 2005. Mineral economics of the global
copper industry: ores, wastes and end-products.
Unpublished MSc thesis, University of Exeter.
TYLER, P A. 2003. The Parys Mountain volcanogenic
sulphide deposit, North Wales: a new interpretation. In:
Europes Major Base Metal Deposits, Irish Association for
Economic Geology.
UNEP/IEPAC 1991 Environmental aspects of selected
non-ferrous metals ore mining, a technical guide, Technical
Report Series no 5, UNEP, France.
UNITED NATIONS, Department of economic and social
affairs. Population snapshop 2005 for section
http://esa.un.org/unpp/ [cited 25 February 2007].
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 2003, Map and table of world
copper smelters: U.S. Geological Survey Open File-Report
03-75, [online] Reston, Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey.
Available from http://www-tin.er.usgs.gov/index.shtml
[cited 20 February 2007].
WORLD BUREAU OF METAL STATISTICS. 2007. World
metal statistics vol 60, no 3. Ware, Hertfordshire.
28