Copper is one of the most abundant metals present on Earth. It is known as the king of metals across the globe due to its physical and chemical nature. Copper has versatile and widely accepted physical and chemical properties. It easily forms alloys with other chemicals and is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. Copper is used in almost every field of life. According to an estimate, nearly 90% of the world’s electronic and mechanical devices contain copper. Copper is present in the form of copper ore (solid rocks) in Earth’s crust.
An ore is a rock containing valuable chemicals and metals, and other entities and waste materials. To extract the metal first, the ore is removed from the ground and refined in laboratories to obtain copper. The cost of a metal depends on how abundant that mineral’s ore is and the price for extracting it in its pure form. That’s why it’s important to use mineral resources wisely and reduce the cost of extracting as much as possible.
Detection of Copper Ore
Copper deposits occur in sedimentary and volcanogenic rocks. These deposits are majorly formed near major tectonic features in Earth’s crust, such as plate boundaries, rift valleys, and island arcs. Copper ore may be found at various other geographic levels, but extraction is done only when it is estimated profitable. If the extraction cost is estimated to be greater than the overall value of the ore, then extraction is not done at the mentioned place.
Detection of copper ores majorly includes geologic processes. Geologists study land formations and predict the percentage of copper ore expected to be found. The physical and chemical properties of rocks and sand play a vital role in locating possible ores beneath the Earth’s surface. It also tells us about the concentration of the ore and its size. There are several different ways to mine the copper ore after its detection that mining companies like Three Valley Copper stock do.
Surface Mining
The surface is one of the primary methods for copper ore extraction. The rock present on the top is blasted, and rock containing the ore is carried to laboratories in extensive rock deposits. Surface mining includes open-pit mining and mountaintop removal. It also includes strip mining, placer mining, and dredging.
Underground Mining
Underground mining is done by digging to a certain level into Earth and then creating tunnels. All of the copper ore is extracted by machinery. It usually contains a small piece of rock. None of the ore bodies is damaged by underground mining.
Underground mining is costly and usually carried out at government levels. Electricity and food supplies must be carried underground for the miners. Accidents are far too common in underground mining.
Final Thoughts
Copper is the king of chemicals and is used in almost every field of life. That’s why a lot of mining companies do copper exploration like Three Valley Copper stock which is doing a great job in this industry. Copper is present in the form of ore deposits beneath the Earth’s surface. Several geological processes detect copper. An ore deposit is only profitable if the amount of metal or mineral estimated is greater than the mining process cost. Surface mines are considered the primary method for copper ore extraction.
