Copper Ore

Copper Ore is a naturally occurring metal ore used primarily as a building material and as the raw input for producing Copper in the mid-game. It appears as diggable ore blocks in the overworld and can also be recovered from several space-related sources. Copper Ore nodes are commonly found in the Temperate Biome, often in moderately large clusters bordering vacuum or pockets of Carbon Dioxide, and sometimes forming thin veins that line cavities. Individual isolated blocks can be buried within other natural tiles. Copper Ore also occurs inside geodes, can be delivered by some Meteor Showers, and is available from certain Space POIs and rocky asteroids via rocket missions.

Duplicants can mine Copper Ore tiles directly; digging produces the characteristic high-pitched metal-cutting sound associated with other natural metal blocks. Copper Ore is fully processable: it can be refined into usable Copper metal and it doubles as a consumable feed item for certain critters. The two primary processing routes are the Rock Crusher and the Metal Refinery. Processing yields differ: using a Rock Crusher converts 100 kg Copper Ore → 50 kg Copper + 50 kg Sand, while a Metal Refinery converts 100 kg Copper Ore → 100 kg Copper. Sand is produced specifically as a byproduct of crushing ore.

Copper Ore is available from space missions and POIs as a renewable harvestable resource. Harvest rates reported from rocket missions are approximately:

• Rocky Asteroid Fields: 108–324 kg per cycle
• Metallic Asteroid Fields: 94.5–283.5 kg per cycle
• Sandy Ore Fields: 54–162 kg per cycle

Copper Ore also interacts with fauna: some critter species will consume metal ores. When fed metal ore, those critters may excrete Coal and increase the likelihood of producing eggs for a variant that in turn excretes Copper, while other critter types will directly excrete Copper after consuming metal ore.

Practical notes and mechanics:

• Copper Ore is best collected in bulk from Temperate Biome nodes and geodes early to mid game to support construction and electrical production.
• Use Rock Crusher when you need both Copper and Sand or when Metal Refinery capacity is limited; use Metal Refinery when you need a full mass conversion to Copper.
• Mining Copper Ore is a tile-by-tile operation; plan excavation to avoid exposing duplicants to hazardous gases often found near ore pockets (e.g., Carbon Dioxide).
• Meteor and space sources can supplement planetary deposits but have variable yields; plan rocket missions accordingly.
• Copper Ore is treated like other solid minerals for transport and storage; it can be moved on conveyor systems and processed by automated refineries.