Copper Availability - Domestic: A Minerals Availibility System AppraisalThe Bureau of Mines evaluated the potential supply of primary copper from domestic mines and deposits and found that increases in copper price will be required in order for many domestic deposits to continue production. As part of the study, a tonnage-price relationship was developed indicating the quantity of copper that could be produced economically from known deposits at various copper prices and at various rates of return on the required capital investment. Costs of production are based on estimated capital and operating costs for mining, concentrating, transporting, smelting, and refining. Direct and indirect operating costs, recovery of investment, and return on investment have been included in the smelting and refining costs. Capital and operating costs are calculated in January 1978 dollars, and byproduct credits are based on January 1978 prices. Known domestic copper mines and deposits contain nearly 92 million metric tons of copper in about 14 billion metric tons of demonstrated mineralized material. These tonnages represent the current domestic copper reserve base. Approximately 74 million metric tons of copper are recoverable from the reserve base using existing technology. Of this quantity, slightly more than 50 million metric tons are economically recoverable assuming a price of 51.00 per pound of copper, credit for the recovery of byproducts, and a 15-percent rate of return on capital investment. Approximately 60 percent of the copper occurs in mines that were producing at the time of the study. |
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... pound 173.69 per troy ounce 36.42 per metric ton of pellets 0.33 per pound 2.08 per pound 60.00 per troy ounce 2 Iron Lead 1 Molybdenum Nickel 1 3 4.01 per pound Palladium 3 Platinum 3 Selenium 2 Silver 1 1 Sulfur 2 Tungsten 2 Zinc 1 1 ...
... pound 173.69 per troy ounce 36.42 per metric ton of pellets 0.33 per pound 2.08 per pound 60.00 per troy ounce 2 Iron Lead 1 Molybdenum Nickel 1 3 4.01 per pound Palladium 3 Platinum 3 Selenium 2 Silver 1 1 Sulfur 2 Tungsten 2 Zinc 1 1 ...
Common terms and phrases
0-percent 15-percent rate 74 million metric Alaska ANNUAL RECOVERABLE COPPER ASARCO Availability Field Office average Bornite break-even Bureau of Mines capital investment claim patented Colo constant 1978 dollars COPPER GRADE copper reserve base COPPER thousand metric Copperhill Cyprus Dev UG domestic copper properties domestic copper reserve domestic deposits economic estimated Exp UG Federal lease Field Operations Center Inspiration Consolidated Copper Juneau Kennecott Copper Corp least a 15-percent Map index numbers mill capital cost million metric tons Mineralized Contained material Minerals Availability Field Minerals Corp mines and deposits mining method National Forest ounces/MT Owner past producer Patented located claim Pelican River Pennzoil Co Phelps Dodge Corp Pinos Altos pollution control Ppd UG Prd OP Private lease rate of return receive at least recoverable copper available RECOVERABLE COPPER thousand reserves and resources Safford subsidiary of ARCO thousand metric tons tons of copper troy ounce various copper prices Yerington