Resources
Copper
The high demand for copper from countries such as China is fuelling price rises, changing market dynamics and attracting investors. The red metal is also holding its own in the power sector and returning to the medical agenda. With this increasing popularity, the hunt for new deposits becomes more worthwhile. - -
Content
Global growth causes markets to see red
Strong global economic growth has stimulated demand, but not everyone in the industry is happy, writes Kevin Morrison.
China: Feeding a growing appetite
The country’s demand has surged but Geoff Dyer asks whether the trend can continue.
Refining: China develops capacity to gain top spot
Increased investment could help the sector exert more muscle, writes Kevin Morrison.
Trading: A high-profile and speculative metal
The rally in copper has been driven by a razor-thin supply-demand balance that toppled every time there was a disruption at a copper producer.
Power market: Industrialisation fuels demand
China’s electricity grid accounts for up to half of its copper consumption, writes Kevin Morrison.
Emerging producers: Price rises and deposit hunts
The sector is casting its net wider but politics and other issues can intervene, writes Rebecca Bream.
Medical market: Germ of an idea for fighting bugs
Copper’s unique ability to destroy a range of microbes has put it back on the agenda, writes Lisa Urquhart.
Phelps Dodge: Hedges planted out of season
Caution has been costly for Phelps Dodge but it is still ambitious, says Bernard Simon.
Chile’s copper: Surplus spells woe for exporters
The red metal’s price surge makes the peso too hot for some sectors, writes Paul Harris.
