Here are the top 10 largest gold mines in the world

Gold mining is a global business with numerous companies operating in various countries to extract the precious metal.

However, do we know where in the world these mine are? Here is a list of the top ten largest mines globally.

Grasberg mine (Indonesia)

Grasberg mine in Mimika Regency, Central Papua, Indonesia, holds one of the world’s largest gold and copper reserves.

The open-pit mine is operated by PT Freeport Indonesia, a JV between the government of Indonesia, government of Papua, and American company Freeport-McMoRan.

Grasberg is home to four mining operations: Grasberg Block Cave underground mine, Deep Ore Zone underground mine, Deep Mill Level Zone underground mine, and Big Gossan underground mine.

Grasberg, as of 31 December 2022, held proven and probable mineral reserves of 30.8 billion pounds of copper, 26.3 Moz of gold, and 121.3 Moz of silver.

Muruntau Mine (Uzbekistan)

The Qizilqum Desert in Uzbekistan is home to the Muruntau deposit. The largest open-pit gold mine in the world with production believed to be estimated around 2 Moz annually. The open pit is roughly 3.5 by 2.5 km in size and descends to a depth of 560 meters.

Cortez Mine (USA)

Cortez Mine is a large mining and processing facility in Nevada, owned by Barrick and Newmont Corporation.

It consists of the Cortez Hills underground mine as well as the Pipeline, Crossroads, and Cortez Hills open-pit mines. Refractory ore is transported to Barrick’s Goldstrike facility for processing, while mine ore is processed at an oxide mill and on leach pads.

Since 1862, the Cortez Mountains have been mined. Before February 2008, Placer Dome was 60% owned by Barrick Gold, having acquired it in 2006 for $10.4 billion, and 40% by Rio Tinto.

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Super Pit Mine (Australia)

The Super Pit Mine is one of the biggest open-pit gold mines in the world and the largest in Australia.

The Super Pit is situated southeast of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, off the Goldfields Highway. The pit is oblong in plain view and is approximately 3.5 km long, 1.5 km wide and over 600 metres deep.

Barrick Gold, Newmont, Saracen Mineral Holdings, and Northern Star Resources all acquired shares in the mine, with Barrick Gold taking over Homestake Mining Company in 2001, Newmont in 2002, and Saracen Mineral Holdings in 2019.

In 2019, the mine produced 456,000 troy ounces (14.2 t) of gold and employed around 1,100 employees and contractors directly on site.

Yanacocha Mine (Peru)

Yanacocha, Peru’s fourth-largest gold mine, produced 0.97 Moz of gold in 2014, showcasing the region’s rich history and diverse mining operations.

The open-pit mine is situated in the Cajamarca Region’s province and department, in the Northern Highlands of Peru, between 3,500 and 4,100 meters above sea level, about 800 km northeast of Lima.

The operation is a partnership between Newmont Goldcorp (51.35% ownership), Compaia de Minas Buenaventura (43.65% ownership), and the International Finance Corporation (5% ownership).

Tarkwa Mine (Ghana)

Tarkwa is located on the southern end of the Tarkwa Basin, approximately 300 km west of Accra, Ghana’s capital.

The Tarkwa open-pit mine is operated by mining leases totalling roughly 20,800 acres. Tarkwa produced 0.612 Moz of gold from heap leach and milling operations in 2009 at a cash cost of $521 per ounce. Tarkwa employed 3,982 people as of 30 June 2009, including contractors.

Carlin Trend Mine (USA)

The Carlin Unconformity or Carlin Trend is one of the wealthiest mining zones in the world. The mine consists of several open pit and underground operations.

The precious metal was discovered in the area in the 1870s, although production was minimal until 1909, with just approximately 22,000 ounces produced through 1964.

Mines along the Carlin Trend had produced over 70 Moz by 2008, worth over $85 billion at 2010 prices.

Lihir Mine (Papua New Guinea)

Lihir, a mining company in Papua New Guinea, Australia, and West Africa, was merged with Newcrest in August 2010.

The mine is an open-pit mine comprising two adjacent overlapping pits.

The merger, approved by 99.86% of Lihir Gold Shareholders, made Newcrest the world’s fifth-largest producer, with a combined production of 2.8 Moz in 2009. Ross Garnaut, who is an Australian economist, served as Lihir’s chairman from 1995 to 2010.

Goldstrike Mine (USA)

Goldstrike is an open-pit and underground operation owned and operated by Nevada Gold Mines LLC, a joint venture between Barrick and Newmont Corporation, situated in the northern Carlin Trend of Eureka and Elko Counties, Nevada.

Atlas Minerals made the first gold discovery on the Goldstrike site in 1962. Since Barrick purchased Goldstrike in 1986 and it produced 44.4 Moz till 2018.

Boddington Mine (Australia)

The Boddington gold and copper open-pit mine, located 13 km northwest of Boddington, Western Australia, is now Australia’s largest gold mine.

Production reserves are set at 2018 rates, ensuring 17.5 years of gold production and 16.2 years of copper production until June 2036 and March 2035, respectively.