World's ten biggest gold mines - three mining majors dominate list

The world's largest gold producer last year was actually a copper mine. Of the others Barrick Gold dominates the list along with AngloGold Ashanti and Newmont.

Author: Cole Latimer
Posted: Monday , 13 Aug 2012 

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIAN MINING) - 

A listing of the world's ten largest gold mines by gold output according to 2011 production figures and researched by Australian Mining - minor edits from Mineweb

1. Grasberg Mine (Indonesia)

The world's largest gold mine by size and output, the Grasberg gold mine in Indonesia had an output 1,444,000 ounces of gold last year.  It is also the world's third largest copper mine, and has close to 20 000 employees.

2. Cortez (U.S.A.)

Barrick Gold' largest producing mine in Nevada, USA.  In 2011 it had gold  production of 1,421,000 ounces.

It is made up of the Pipeline and South Pipeline deposits and the Cortez Hills deposit. The Pipeline and South Pipeline are open pit mines, and the Cortez Hills deposit, currently under construction will utilise both underground and open pit mining.

Cortez has been open longer than any other gold mine in Nevada, having been in operation since 1862.

3. Yanacocha (Peru)

Peru makes the list with Newmont's Yanacocha gold mine, located in Cajamarca Province. It has produced more than US$7 billion worth of gold to date.

In 2011 it had an output of 1,293,000 ounces of gold.

4. Goldstrike (U.S.A.)

The second American mine to make it into the list. Run by Barrick Gold in Nevada, the mine had an output of 1,088,000 ounces in 2011.

Like the U.S. No. 1 it is located on the Carlin Trend, which is the most prolific gold mining district in the Western Hemisphere.

The Goldstrike operation includes the Betze-Post open pit mine and the Meikle and Rodeo underground mines which are located just north of the Betze-Post pit, along the same mineralized trend.

5. Veladero (Argentina)

Barrick has again made it into the list with the Veladero gold mine in San Juan, Argentina.  It is immediately to the south of Barrick's Pascua-Lama property currently under development.

It is a conventional open cut operation.

It had an output of 957,000 ounces last year, and as of December 31 had reserves of 10.6 million ounces.

6. Vaal River (South Africa)

An underground gold operation run by Anglogold Ashanti.  The operation consists of the Great Noligwa, Kopanang, and Moab Khotsong shafts, and various surface operations.

It produced 831,000 ounces in 2011.

 7. The Super Pit ( Kalgoorlie-Boulder, WA, Australia)

This massive open cut is one of the main attractions in Kalgoorlie. Run by Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (a joint venture owned by Newmont and Barrick) the operation an produce around 850,000 ounces of gold annually and is the largest open pit mine in Australia.2011 gold output was 794,000 ounces

 8. West Wits (South Africa)

Also operated by Anglogold Ashanti, this is another South African underground operation and is currently the world's deepest mining operation (formerly known as Western Deep Levels).

Located in the West Wits goldfields west of Johannesburg, it consists of the TauTona mine (or Western Deep No.3 Shaft, which is currently the world's deepest mine), the Mponeng, and Savuka shafts.

As of 2011 it produced 792,000 ounces.

9. Lagunas Norte (Peru)

Another mine owned by Barrick. Located in the north of the country, it lies just over four kilometres above sea level.  In 2011 it produced 763,000 ounces of gold, and is undergoing an expansion project which will increase production as early as 2016.

 10. Boddington mine (Boddington, WA, Australia)

Run by Newmont, the Boddington gold mine is actually one of Australia's newest gold mines, beginning production in 2009.  At the end of 2010 it had reserves of 20 million ounces of gold and 2.4 billion pounds of copper.  It produced 741,000 ounces of gold in 2011.