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The Copper Mines

Copper is the most ancient metal known to man. It has been in use since ancient times and hence has been mined from the past eras. Copper is found in nature as copper ore. This copper ore is called as Chalcopyrite.

Chalcopyrite is treated and subjected to various chemical processes and finally the metallic copper is extracted. This chemical process releases a lot of toxic substances and gases too, so is again put back in to the extraction process, and utilized without allowing it to pollute the atmosphere.

Copper is found all over the world, with Chile, United States, Peru, China, Australia, Indonesia, Russia, Canada, Zambia and Poland occupying the descending order of the list in the world top ten countries

Chuquicamata or Chuqui is a large open pit mine in Chile. This copper mine is a historic mine. It has been the world's largest copper producing mine. But now it has been overtaken by another mine, but yet retains its world's largest producer of copper status.

The Kennecott Bingham Mine is the largest man made excavation on the face of the earth. It has given forth more than 13 million tones of copper. This big black hole can be seen even from outer space and may be that's what draws visitors and onlookers on to this mine. In addition to copper, it has also yielded gold, silver among a variety of other things.

Originally started in 1898 at Utah, the Kennecott Copper Mine came to existence in Alaska by the year 1910. They started quarrying a deposit of copper later found to be very rich sources in Wrangell Saint. Elias Mountains which was located 300 miles in the northwest direction to Juneau. By the year 1915, Kennecott Mines was renamed as Kennecott Copper Corporation, bought 25 percent shares of the Utah Copper Company and thus took over in 1936.

Okiep copper mine held a position of pride as the world's richest and money making mine till 1918. After that it stopped production as it had already exhausted its reserves by then.

The Konkola Copper mines are the largest in Zambia. It can produce more than 200,000 metric tones of copper in a year. In addition to copper it also produces pyrite, Anode slimes, Sulphuric acid and cobalt.

WMC is the largest mine of Australia with main production from the Olympic dam mine. It has a capacity of 275, 000 metric tones of copper in a year.

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