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Satellites to spy on smelters for copper traders
A service will launch next week for funds managers, traders and miners that uses satellites to keep copper smelters under surveillance to get quick word of when they shut down and ramp up. Britain-based Earth-i, which specialises in geospatial data, aims to sell its SAVANT service to the finance sector since news of a major smelter going off-line or restarting can jolt the copper price. The copper market is also widely watched by analysts as a leading indicator of the health of the global economy because the metal has such a wide range of uses, from construction to manufacturing, earning it the nickname “Doctor ... (full story)