Due to the special physical and chemical properties and relatively low price, the research on ruthenium will be very active, and the application prospect is very bright. 95% of the world's platinum group metals are associated with copper-nickel sulfide ore, and the mining and smelting areas are concentrated in South Africa, Russia, the United States and Canada. Commercially mined platinum group metal mines mainly include the Merensky mine and the UG2 chromite layer in the Bushveld Complex in South Africa, the Norilsk mine in Russia, the Stillwater mine in the United States, and the Saxon mine in Canada. The Derbury Mine and the Great Wall Mine in Zimbabwe.

In the main platinum group metal ores, the content of ruthenium is much lower than that of platinum. In South Africa's Platreef mine, platinum:ruthenium is 10:1; in South Africa's Merensky Reef mine and UG2 chromite, platinum:ruthenium is 7:1; the United States In the Stillwater mine, platinum:ruthenium is 4.7:1.