In South Australia, at the present time, mining companies are interested in copper mining and ore beneficiation. To be in a position to provide data which would make it possible, at any time, to assess the feasibility of establishing a copper smelter and refinery in this State, the South Australian Government's Department of Mines commissioned this study. The increasing demand for copper and the recent appreciable rise in the price of the metal have caused an intensification in copper exploration. Known deposits and old workings and dumps are being re-examined. Techniques of mining and concentration have improved, and now mineable propositions have been created from occurrences which were formerly dismissed as mere mineralisation. Open-cut mining at a high tonnage rate has greatly reduced the cost of mining a ton of ore, and developments such as autogenous grinding, larger flotation cells, more specific reagents, and automatic controls, have reduced concentration costs. Developments and innovations in the extractive metallurgy of copper are leading to larger units incorporating automation and computer control, and to the integration of the previously-separated stages of smelting. The known ores available for exploitation in South Australia have a copper content between 0.5% and 10%, with the bulk of the deposits having between 1 and 2% Cu. The ores are sulphide, or oxide, or a mixture of the two, the term "oxide" including carbonates and silicates as well as copper oxide. The orebodies are located in areas lying 40 to 440 miles distant from Adelaide, and at Tennant Creek, located 1300 miles north of Adelaide. A study of processes for producing copper is presented in this report. The type, size and location of plant, and the grade of concentrate, are discussed. The stage to which the refining of copper is taken is discussed in relation to conditions applicable in South Australia. Recent developments in hydrometallurgy have been significant, and point to radical changes in the treatment of complex ores. For the purpose of completeness, a section is included on wet methods of concentration, extraction and refining.