The amount of copper in the earth’s crust is about 0.01%. Most of the copper is extracted from porphyry copper ores that are mined in the open pit. This type of copper ore contains between 0.4% and 1.0% copper. The Chuquicamata mine in Chile, the Bingham Canyon mine in Utah, USA, and the Chino mine in New Mexico, USA, are examples of such mines. According to the British Geological Survey (BGS), Chile was the largest producer of copper in 2005, accounting for more than one-third of the world’s production, followed by the United States, Indonesia, and Peru. Copper can also be produced in a variety of ways. Copper can also be extracted by in situ leaching, with several copper mines in Arizona being the preferred method. Copper is also used in a number of other mines. The use of copper is increasing, and the amount that can be mined is only sufficient to meet the needs of all countries up to the level of the developed world.
