What is the ore of copper?

Ore of copper is a copper-bearing mineral from which pure copper can be extracted. Sulphide ores, in which copper is chemically bonded with sulphur, are the source of roughly 80 percent of all of the world's extracted copper.

There are about 15 types of different copper ores officially mined around the planet. Sulphide copper ores include chalcopyrite, chalcopyrite, bornite, covellite and chalcocite. Other copper ores are oxide copper ores, carbonate ores or mixed ores, including cuprite, azurite, malachite and chrysocolla.

Many copper ores are also known to contain varying quantities of other metals, such as gold, silver, selenium, cadmium, lead and nickel.