What is a good copper grade?
COPPER: Anything over 100 metres and 1% copper equivalent or better is considered to be high-grade. Therefore, anything over 20 metres in thickness (significantly less thickness than other commodities) and 2% nickel grade or better would be reasonably considered high-grade.
How do you calculate copper grade?
Cu equivalent (“Cu Eq.”) grade is calculated by the following equation: Cu Eq. = Cu% + (Au g/t x 0.6). Cu‐Equivalent values do not take into account the recoverability of gold.
What is the difference between a high grade and a low-grade copper ore?
Grades differ in metal concentration and in the types of “impurity” elements contained. The known reserves of higher-grade ore in the world amount to nearly 1 billion tons of copper. While low-grade deposits appear less profitable, porphyry copper deposits typically contain hundreds of millions of tonnes of ore.
What is TC in copper?
Treatment Charge (TC) and Refining Charge (RC) are common- ly used in the terms of purchase for copper concentrate or nickel ore for refining. They are amounts designed to cover refining costs.
Which country has the best quality copper?
Major countries in world copper production Chile, the world’s leading copper producer by far, produced an estimated 5.7 million metric tons of copper in 2020. In second place is Peru, with an estimated copper mine production of 2.2 million metric tons in the same year.
What is the purest copper?
OF coppers exhibit electrical conductivity above 100% IACS. Certified oxygen-free high-conductivity copper (Electronic Grade, UNS C10100) contains a minimum of 99.99% Cu, making it the purest metal in common use.
What does CuEq mean?
copper equivalent grade
CuEq means ‘copper equivalent grade’. Calculation of copper equivalent grades are based on US$0.80/lb. for copper and US$350/oz. for gold); %Cu eq.
What is a grade tonnage curve?
A grade tonnage curve combines two or three equations together to produce one of the more important tools for analysing the data indicating the potential amount of material obtained when varying the cut-off grade applied. Leapfrog Geo can display multiple grade tonnage curves on one graph.
What is the highest grade of copper?
According to FQM, copper cathode produced at Las Cruces reaches a maximum quality of 99.9% copper. The mine with the highest grade of copper in the world is Sudbury (also known as Victoria) in Canada, where the grade of ore is nearly 8%.
Why is low grade ore bad for profits?
Reducing the handling and processing of sub-economic ore Mining, handling and processing low-grade ore in mining and mineral processing operations is resulting in higher costs and lower profits. By removing low grade ore prior to processing, operations can minimise energy use and increase plant profitability.
What are TC RCs?
TC/RCs are the fees miners pay to smelters for converting copper concentrate to copper cathode and are a key revenue source for smelters. Miners have remained in an advantageous position over the past few years amid tight supply of copper concentrates led by ceaseless expansion of refining capacity in the industry.