Copper is a moderately incompatible chalcophile element. Its behavior is strongly controlled by sulfides. The speciation of sulfur is controlled by oxygen fugacity. Therefore, porphyry Cu deposits are usually oxidized (with oxygen fugacities > ΔFMQ +2) (Mungall 2002; Sun et al. 2015). The problem is that while most of the magmas at convergent margins are highly oxidized, porphyry Cu deposits ...

Apr 23, 2011· Both ore types can be economically mined, however, the most common source of copper ore is the sulfide ore mineral chalcopyrite, which accounts for about 50 percent of copper production.

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Jul 02, 2018· On the basis of their time of formation relative to host rock, the ore deposits are divided into two groups: Syngenetic Ore Deposit: The ore deposits that are formed at the same time as the enclosing rock are called “Syngenetic ore deposits”. Sedimentary ore deposits are the examples of syngenetic deposits.

The formation of the native copper ores is not completely understood. The fact that it is a relatively unique deposit of a very large size makes the understanding of the ore formation processes problematic. The lack of sulfur in the ores is a very unusual feature in the formation of copper deposits.

Extracting of Copper from Other Ores. Copper can be extracted from non-sulfide ores by a different process involving three separate stages: Reaction of the ore (over quite a long time and on a huge scale) with a dilute acid such as dilute sulfuric acid to produce a very dilute copper(II) sulfate solution.

Sep 13, 2016· Formation of an Ore Deposit ... ORE DEPOSITS 101 Part 4 Mesothermal and Greenstone Lode Gold - Duration: ... Exploring gold and copper ore zones - Duration: ...

They meet around three quarters of today’s global copper demand and are thus of extreme economic importance. Finding new ore deposits in the Earth’s crust depends on our understanding how nature forms such gigantic metal accumulations that can be exploited at reasonable economic and environmental expense.

Mineral deposit - Mineral deposit - Formation of mineral deposits: Mineral deposits form because some medium serves as a concentrating and transporting agent for the ore minerals, and some process subsequently causes the transporting agent to precipitate, or deposit, the minerals. Examples of concentrating and transporting agents are groundwater, seawater, and magma; examples of …

How Copper is Mined. Copper is found alongside many other types of ore. It can be found near gold, silver, zinc, lead, and other types of metal deposits. When mixed in with other ores, copper is not usually found in great abundance. Until the development of the modern copper mining process, it was typically a byproduct of mining for other metals.

These secondary copper minerals may form rich ore in the upper parts of many deposits, and owing to their characteristic green or blue colour, even small amounts are easily seen in the rocks in which they occur. Copper bearing minerals are commonly found in association with minerals which may contain gold, lead, zinc and silver. Resources

Jun 25, 2005· Intrusion of hot magma into sedimentary rock layers during uplift of the mountains resulted in the formation of copper- and gold-bearing ore. The rich copper ore was discovered in the area in 1936, and the Grasberg gold-bearing ore was discovered in 1988.

Ores Containing Cobalt. ... Cobalt is almost always a by- or co-product of mining for other base metals, chiefly nickel and copper. Large quantities of cobalt also occur on the sea floor, contained within manganese nodules and cobalt-rich crusts, although they are not economically viable with current technology and economic conditions ...

When it comes to porphyry deposits there are a number of variations on a theme and the deposits can be copper only, they can be copper gold, copper molybdenum or molybdenum only but regardless of the metal mix the process of deposit formation is the same.

The concentration of copper in ores averages only 0.6%, and most commercial ores are sulfides, especially chalcopyrite (CuFeS 2), bornite (Cu 5 FeS 4) and, to a lesser extent, covellite (CuS) and chalcocite (Cu 2 S). These minerals are concentrated from crushed ores to the level of 10–15% copper by froth flotation or bioleaching.

Copper minerals and ore are found throughout the Earth’s crust. They occur in both sedimentary and igneous rocks. The outer 10 km of the crust contains 33 g of copper for every tonne of rock.

The state of Arizona is the biggest supplier of copper in the United States. My grandpa was employed at both the Bisbee and Morenci mines in Arizona, where he operated an ore dump truck for over 30 years.

Sediment-Hosted Copper Deposits of the World: Deposit Models and Database By Dennis P. Cox1, David A. Lindsey2 Donald A. Singer1, Barry C. Moring1, and Michael F. Diggles1 Including: Descriptive Model of Sediment-Hosted Cu 30b.1 by Dennis P. Cox1 Grade and Tonnage Model of Sediment-Hosted Cu by Dennis P. Cox1 and Donald A. Singer1 Descriptive Model of Reduced-Facies Cu 30b.2 By …

This concentration may occur during the formation of the host rock, or after the rock forms, through a number of different types of processes. There is a very wide variety of ore-forming processes, and there are hundreds of types of mineral deposits. ... For example, the most common ore of copper is chalcopyrite (CuFeS 2).

Types of copper ore: Oxides. As mentioned, copper oxide ores are not as attractive an exploration target as copper sulfide ores due to their lower grade. However, in some cases low-grade copper ...

What is Malachite? Malachite is a green copper carbonate hydroxide mineral with a chemical composition of Cu 2 (CO 3)(OH) 2.It was one of the first ores used to produce copper metal. It is of minor importance today as an ore of copper because it is usually found in small quantities and can be sold for higher prices for other types of use.

Uses of Copper. Native copper was probably one of the early metals worked by ancient people. Nuggets of the metal could be found in streams in a few areas, and its properties allowed it to be easily worked without a required processing step. Today most copper is produced from sulfide ores. Copper is an excellent conductor of electricity.

Copper - From Beginning to End. Copper is a major metal and an essential element used by man. It is found in ore deposits around the world. It is also the oldest metal known to man and was first discovered and used about 10,000 years ago. And as alloyed in bronze (copper-tin alloy) about 3000 BC, was the first engineering material known to man.

Copper occurs as a native metal and as compounds (frequently of sulfur) that are easily smelted. It is a good conductor of heat and electricity, and its main uses are in electrical wire, plumbing, roofing, coins, and jewelry. Copper is commonly used as an alloy (combined with other metals) with tin to make bronze and with zinc to make brass.

Mar 11, 2015· Large Size, Low Grade – Porphyries typically have 100 million to 5 billion tonnes of ore with a lower grade (0.2% to >1% copper). It is the size of these deposits that allow for bulk mining and economies of scale. Long Mine Life – The size of porphyry systems usually mean that the life of the mine can be multi-decades long. This means that ...

Sulfide Ores. Sulphide ores were mostly created by (i) the intrusion of molten magma from the mantle into the crust of the earth and (ii) the formation of localized metal-rich sulphide ore bodies by sequential solidification and/or hydrothermal leaching and precipitation. From: Extractive Metallurgy of Nickel, Cobalt and Platinum Group Metals, 2011

Copper processing is a complicated process that begins with mining of the ore (less than 1% copper) and ends with sheets of 99.99% pure copper called cathodes, which will ultimately be made into products for everyday use.The most common types of ore, copper oxide and copper sulfide, undergo two different processes, hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy, respectively, due to the different ...

Oct 13, 2013· Porphyry ore deposits supply much of the copper, molybdenum, gold and silver used by humans. A review of the main processes that trigger porphyry ore formation …

The ore is found in vast quantities in the iron formation of the Michipicoten District, Ontario; the quantity around the Helen Mine is estimated at not less than 100 million tons; the ore is high in sulphur, owing to the presence of pyrite, and requires to be roasted to remove sulphur as well as to remove carbon dioxide.

Collectable Copper Ores and Minerals. This is a selection of the most commonly collected copper ores. Also included are a few other interesting ores of metals often alloyed with copper such as zinc, lead and bismuth. Illustrations are being added where available.

Copper forms as molten rock with small amounts of copper fluid crystallizes. As the larger rock continues to solidify, the fluid rich in copper moves into cracks, eventually solidifying as well. Because the copper solidifies later than other minerals within the larger rock, the final deposits have a …

The formation of porphyry copper deposits. ... it is also more difficult for ore forming fluids to penetrate the thick continental crust to reach the depths of 2–4 km where porphyry deposits ...