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Copper ore · verified sellers
Copper ore suppliers are licensed mines, from small operations to mid-sized pits, and agents who represent them. A real supplier has a valid mining licence, can load trucks regularly and accepts joint sampling with an independent assay. On Copper Supply every member passes an ID check, and you can post a free requirement with your minimum grade so mines come to you.
No live copper ore selling offers right now. Post yours and members who trade copper ore are emailed within minutes.
Post it freeA real ore supplier has a mining licence for the area the ore comes from, a working pit or stockpile, and a loader. They can tell you how many trucks a week they can fill, what grade the last trucks assayed at, and whether the ore is oxide or sulphide.
Grade varies. A real mine will say "between 2% and 4%", not promise 10% for every truck.
See buying copper ore by the truck.
Post a buying requirement with your minimum grade, oxide or sulphide, location, tonnage per week and payment terms. It is free. Members who sell ore get an email within minutes. Mines ask for an introduction, and you see what was checked before you reply.
Free to join. Copper Supply never holds trade money and takes no commission on deals.
Processing plants: leach plants that buy oxide ore and flotation plants that buy sulphide ore, plus traders and toll processors who supply them. Most ore is bought near where it is mined, mainly in Zambia and the DRC, because transport is costly compared with the value of the copper.
Usually as a share of the LME value of the copper it contains, minus processing, recovery and transport costs, and paid on dry tonnes. Some plants pay a fixed price per tonne for each grade band. Payment is normally per truck after an independent assay.
Many plants set a minimum of around 2% copper, but it depends on distance, ore type and the plant's process. Low-grade ore far from a plant may not cover the cost of transport. Ask the buyer for their minimum grade and deductions before loading.
Oxide ore, such as malachite, is usually treated by leaching with acid and SX-EW, which makes cathode. Sulphide ore, such as chalcopyrite, is crushed and floated to make concentrate for a smelter. Each needs a different kind of plant, so the buyer must match the ore type.
The market2 min read
How some buyers source ore directly from small and mid-sized mines: own trucks, joint sampling, independent assay and payment per truck. The maths and the risks.
Read the guideHow deals work2 min read
A trial of one to a few trucks is how most new copper relationships begin. How to structure it so both sides are protected, and what comes after.
Read the guideScams & fraud3 min read
Testing copper before you pay is good practice. The scam version lets you test material the seller doesn't own, then takes your money before you control the goods.
Read the guideChecking people
Post it free. Members who trade it get an email within minutes, and only ID-checked people can contact you.
Typical copper ore specification
Ask for the licence number and check it in the country's official mining cadastre, for example Zambia's mining cadastre or the DRC's CAMI. Check that the licence is valid, covers the area the ore comes from and is in the seller's name, or that the seller has written authority from the holder.
The DRC has restricted exports of unprocessed copper ore and concentrate for years, with exemptions granted from time to time. Rules change, so check the current position with the Ministry of Mines and a customs agent before you sign. Most DRC ore is processed inside the country.
A step-by-step list for checking a company before you sign or pay, and when it is worth commissioning a full due-diligence report.