In recent years, the dependence of China's copper resources on foreign countries has been increasing. According to statistics, in 2019, China imported 5.497 million tons of copper concentrate, the dependence of copper on foreign countries is as high as 78 percent, and the import volume of copper concentrate accounts for 26.74 percent of the global output of copper concentrate, making China the largest country in the world in the demand for copper concentrate. China's increasing demand for copper resources has accelerated the pace of development of copper resources around the world.

In 2019, there were 15 companies producing more than 300,000 tonnes of copper and nine companies producing more than 500,000 tonnes, according to SNL. The 15 copper mining enterprises with global output of more than 300,000 tons have accumulated production of 10.92 million tons of copper ore, accounting for 55 percent of the global output; the nine copper mining enterprises with global output of more than 500,000 tons have accumulated production of 8.71 million tons of copper ore, accounting for 41.86 percent of the global output of copper ore. China's China Minmetals and Zijin are among the world's top 15 copper miners, producing 613,000 tons in 2019, or 2.9 percent of global copper production. Chile's National Copper Company, Glencore, BHP Billiton and Freeport each produce more than 1 million tons of copper per year, firmly occupying the first echelon of the global copper industry.

The copper ore mining includes surface mining, surface mining and surface mining to surface mining. The copper ore processing and extraction processes are mainly sulfide ore crushing, grinding, flotation and oxidation ore crushing, heap leaching and extraction. Because of the coexistence of various mining methods, huge amount of ore mining and processing, copper mining and processing technology to a large extent represents the development level and direction of global mining technology.

According to the innovative development strategy of the top ten copper mining companies, the development of copper mine technology is mainly around five aspects: Mine Digitalization, intelligence, automation, safety and environment, new technology and new equipment.

In the aspect of digitalization, all mine production factors are usually transferred to the Mine Control Center for Storage and processing by optical fiber, satellite and other wireless communication networks

In October 2019, Corporaci ónNacionaldelCobre launched a project to migrate data from the company's Web Server to the cloud in order to reduce the complexity of data centres in various departments, maximize the use of the cloud platform and safeguard the data security of the system. Through data analysis, the company has optimized the grinding and flotation processes of the Chuquicamata copper mine, improved production efficiency and reduced production costs. In addition, the company is building a geographic information digital system to help analyze and interpret data acquired during exploration.

Bhpgroup has used big data and artificial intelligence to build advanced geophysics models to re analyze existing drilling data. Based on big data research, the company discovered the new Oak Dam copper deposit near the Olympic Dam copper uranium deposit in South Australia in November 2018.

In the aspect of intelligentization, we develop the artificial intelligence software to transfer and store the massive mine data in the control center, optimize the scheduling and management of each production link, and realize the safe and efficient production of the mine

Freeport-mcmoran Inc. . In 2018, the company partnered with data scientists at mckinsey to analyze three years'worth of data from thousands of sensors at the Bagdad Copper Mine and concentrator, successfully leveraging big data, machine learning, and digital twins to complete the AI system. The system can predict and integrate the most effective mining operation settings by analyzing the real-time data of the mine, and can send commands to the dispatching to adjust the mining and mineral processing operation to perform the operation according to the best performance. By adopting the new process, Bagdad's mineral output increased by 10% ~ 15% , copper recovery increased by 1% , and production cost decreased by 10% ~ 15% . The company is planning to promote the technology in all of its north and South American copper mines.

RioTintoGroup promotes digitization and automation based on the more intelligent Koodaideri iron ore project. The company has developed a fully integrated mine operation and simulation system that uses digital twin technology to combine actual factory data with historical information, we will improve the efficiency and safety of production in the areas of exploration, mining, transportation and manufacturing of mineral products.

In automation, automation is rising in the copper mining industry, copper mining enterprises began to use a large number of drones, robots, unmanned automatic drilling machines and other equipment, improve production efficiency, reduce casualties and other safety accidents

In 2019, RioTintoGroup used machine learning and artificial intelligence to optimize process control at the utah-based Kennecott copper concentrator to accommodate different types of ore, improve mineral recovery, and increase productivity. In 2019, the Kennecott copper mine began extensive use of remotely operated remotely operated terrain vehicles and drones for exploration and hazardous work, real-time 3d mapping and facility inspections, check for safety risks such as cracks and signs of rock movement on mine slopes, tops and walls, and use drones equipped with thermal diagnostics to identify equipment from the air that needs servicing.

The use of drones for blast clearance inspections at the OyuTolgoi copper and gold mine in Mongolia has increased efficiency and ensured the safety of personnel and teams. The company's self-driving Train Transportation System AutoHaul improves safety and productivity by intelligently controlling information such as trains and rail networks and terrain, eliminating the need to transport drivers to and from trains and increasing productivity.

At Bingham copper mine in the US, the company's low-cost robot, the crawler MARKII, can penetrate copper mine canyons, detect gases and collect rock, soil and water samples for safety and financial savings. The company has created the Rtvis tm-rio Tinto visualization system, in which operators can view all of the mine's live processes through a 3D engine. The system software brings together geological, geotechnical, drilling and blasting, production and planning data, and visualizes the characteristics of surface and subsurface deposits. At the same time, the company also developed the Mine Automation System Mas, through artificial intelligence analysis, can automatically generate ore body model, help organize equipment scheduling, optimize process, predict and control mine blasting.

In terms of safety and the environment, most enterprises use renewable energy and energy-saving equipment, and some even build their own photovoltaic power stations and use desalinated seawater for mining and mineral processing

CORPORACI óNNACION ALDELCOBRE is committed to the promotion of electrification in response to climate change and sustainable development. In 2019, the company began testing the deployment of electric buses at the Chuquicamata and elTeniente divisions, while also operating the first hybrid scraper (LHD) at the elTeniente copper mine, significantly reducing diesel consumption.

BHPGroup has set a medium-term goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30 percent between 2020 and 2030. The company will use solar power, in-mine crushing and electric conveyors and electric vehicles to replace diesel delivery solutions. By 2020, the company's copper mines at Escondida and Spence will use 40 percent of their water to desalinate seawater, and by 2030 it plans to use all of it for mining development

KGHMPOLSKAMIEDZSA has developed an "operator Collision Avoidance System" to eliminate the most common safety hazards. The company plans to build photovoltaic plants on its 200 hectares of land and acquire nearby wind farms to use more clean energy and meet environmental targets. Grupo Mexico will use desalinated seawater exclusively in the TiaMaria copper leaching-extraction project in Peru to protect local groundwater resources and the environment.

In terms of new technologies and equipment, new technologies and equipment that are conducive to energy conservation and environmental protection are also being further developed, a number of new technologies are being promoted and Applied Corporaci ónNacionaldelCobre has developed a device for handling and placing explosives using telescopic arms and patented adhesives, known as "blockcaver" , which has been successfully applied to more than 100 mine roadways to improve blasting safety. The company has developed a non-frangible material detector that can detect and eliminate materials (such as metal teeth left over from mining excavators) that could jeopardize the continuity of operation of the crushing process. Since 2014, the company has successfully used microbial-assisted heap leaching of chalcopyrite-containing copper sulphide minerals at the RadomiroTomic copper mine in Chile. Other mines in the company have also started to experiment with microbial-assisted heap leaching of copper sulphide, increasing recovery rates. To meet the geomechanical challenges of deep mining in ElTeniente copper mine and Chuquicamata Copper Mine, the company's technicians and experts from around the world have worked together to propose the application of hydraulic fracturing to rock crushing for mining.

The Jameson cell was used to replace the old cell in the Cobre copper mine in Panama and Collahuasi copper mine in Chile by GLENCOREXSTRATAPLC, which improved the recovery of copper and the grade of copper concentrate, jameson cell is also widely used in newcrest mining's Cadia copper-gold mine in Australia and Barrick's Lumwana copper mine in Zambia. The company's IsaMill fine grinding process at Antapaccay copper mine in Peru improved copper recovery and copper concentrate grade, and achieved energy conservation. 

Source: China Mining News

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