A Global Assessment on the Present and Future Availability of Copper Ore

摘要

The availability of non-renewable raw materials at acceptable environmental and economic costs is a centre point of discussion. This paper evaluates geologic characteristics of copper ore deposits, which control economic as well as ecologic parameters of ore extraction and, thus, have an influence on the global availability of copper ore. World-wide, primary copper production will rise from 13.4 Mt in 2002 to more than 15 Mt Cu in 2050. The current world in-situ metal reserves are estimated to amount to 548 Mt Cu with an estimated reserve life index of more than 30 years. The majority of the world primary copper production as well as copper ore reserves is located in South- and North America, Indonesia, Poland, and Australia. Porphyry copper deposits and sulphide ores dominate current world ore production as well ore reserves, each one with a share of 70 percent to 80 percent. On average, prospects contain lower copper grades than presently operating mines. By-products of copper mining (e.g. Au, Ag, Zn, Pb, and others) exert an important control on the economic as well ecologic performance of copper ore deposits.