Which gold mines are still active in the world ?

Gold extraction methods differ depending on the producers and deposits. Gold companies are focusing on surface mines. On the contrary, small-scale miners can search for gold in rivers, or in more difficult to access mines in the Amazon or India.

Once the ore is recovered, producers have the choice between several solutions. The first consists of carrying out a leaching process, with cyanide. The gold exposed to the cyanide mixture will become detached from all residues of other metals.

Less expensive, but devastating for the ecology, amalgamation uses mercury to solidify the gold. Once heated to a very high temperature, gold is purified of all unwanted aggregates. However, only 60% of gold is recovered using this technique.

Finally, gold miners also have the possibility of using gravity, particularly for hand panning on rivers.

Mining operations number in the hundreds around the world. As it is impossible to list them all, we have listed the most important ones. 

The Grasberg mine, Indonesia

The world's first gold mine, and third largest copper mine, it extracts approximately 1 gram per ton of ore, for a total annual volume of 2.4 million ounces. Following the depletion of the Ertsberg deposit, geologists found a gold reserve estimated at $40 billion a few kilometers away. Its implementation really began in the 1990s. Today, it produces around 30 grams of gold and 30 grams of silver per tonne of ore after reduction.

The Goldstrike and Cortez Mines, Nevada

Nevada represents 60% of gold production in the United States. Located in the middle of the desert, Nevada's mines alone produce nearly 100 tons of gold each year. The Cortez mine opened in 2000, and covers 2,800 km². As for Goldstrike, mining began in 1987.

The Muruntau mine, Uzbekistan

The Muruntau mine holds the world production record, with more than 2 million ounces produced per year. Its estimated reserves exceed 4,300 tonnes. The dimensions of the mine are just as impressive, 3 km long and 600 meters deep.

The Shandong mine, China

The mines located in the Shandong region constitute the third largest gold reserve in the world. Most of these deposits are difficult to access, due to their location at sea. Indeed, one of the largest reserves is located 2 km under the sea. Technical performance is put to the test, as mining companies usually do not dig beyond 800 meters below the sea surface. However, the success of this exploration is estimated in billions of dollars.

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